Part of the Game
by Sunflower729
Summary: When life gives you lemons, you're supposed to make lemonade. Kelta Balaqri does her best but lemonade doesn't sound all that appealing when you're alone, unmarried and pregnant in a strange country with two terribly handsome kings for company...
1. Chapter 1

High King Peter and his younger siblings King Edmund and the Queens Susan and Lucy stood waiting for the ship that was to return them to Narnia. For the past two months they had been traveling across the Great Eastern Ocean visiting all of the various islands and small countries that were either under their rule or the rule of Archenland. Their last stop had been Galma and, pleasant as the island was, they were all more than ready to be home in Cair Paravel. They had been waiting for a little over a half-hour and Lucy was starting to look sulky. Peter hoped that the ship, _Blue Maiden_, would arrive before Lucy decided to let her feelings be known. Judging from the frown of her mouth and the furrow in her brow they only had a few minutes. Susan was picking at the seam of her sleeve with a bored look and Edmund had sat down and was meticulously re-lacing his boots. Peter leaned over the docks railing and, as Lucy was opening her mouth, gave a sigh of relief when the tardy ship sailed into sight.

"Well finally!" Lucy exclaimed "I thought they had forgotten us here."

"More likely they got tired of you girls bellyaching about this and that and decided to leave port and be done with us!" Edmund said with a grin. Susan arched a brow at him but said nothing.

"Right, well it here now and we must say nothing about the delay." Peter said with a pointed look at Lucy, who stuck her tongue out in reply before arranging a bright smile on her face. After they boarded the ship they sailed out of the private docking area and into the large bay where crowds had gathered to see them off. The four siblings stood at the ornate railing on the ship's starboard and waved farewell to Galma. Once the tiny fishing boats crowded with civilians stopped skimming by below them, Susan and Lucy went to their cabin to change into more ship-appropriate attire; Edmund was speaking with the Captain. A burly Archenlander whose long hair and beard were bleached from countless hours in the sun, which had also turned his skin the exact color and texture of old leather, Captain Raeler was surprisingly well-spoken and intelligent. He was a fair and just Captain who ruled his ship with stern discipline and a deep belly laugh. Most of the crew was from Archenland as well but there were a few from the various isles and inlets they had visited, and Peter felt the need to keep a wary eye on them. None had proved troublesome so far but the three Terebinthians they had picked up made him uncomfortable. They always had a sort of sly look on their faces, as if they shared some sick joke no one else knew. Peter made sure Susan and Lucy were kept well away from them at all times. He felt bad to suspect people with whom he had never even spoken, but something about the pale featured, whipcord thin Terebinthians made him wonder if they were really the experienced seamen they claimed to be.

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Jarvus made sure the deck was clear before making his way down into the brig to meet Lakri and Kann. They were so close to achieving their goal, he could see the gold and silver coins running through his fingers. This catch would bring in enough for him to pay off his debts and bring his wife to Galma to have their child. He hoped it was a boy. He and Larssa could buy a shop in town for them to sell her weavings and his pottery. There would be three or four rooms above the shop for them to live in, and maybe someday they could add to the house to make room for two or three more children… but they had to bring in this catch first. He walked over to where Lakri and Kann were standing, half hidden by shadows. Lakri had been his partner for years and was as dependable as the seasons. Kann on the other hand was new, and seemed to have a knack for mistakes. The only reason Jarvus allowed him was the fact that Kann and Lakri were cousins and Kann needed a job to pay off the tremendous gambling debts he owed. Kann had done the actual work this time; Jarvus had planned everything out and Lakri had stood guard. Their catch was a good one. Two white singing leopards from Terebinthia. They were from Narnia, and were traveling with and entertainment group that specialized in unusual performers. A giantess who sang and played the tambourine, a dancing trio of dwarves, acrobatic fauns, and centaurs that could pull a beached ship twenty yards were some of the more popular attractions.

"…but I didn't know she was-"Kann broke off what he was whispering and looked down. Jarvus instantly knew something had gone wrong, for Kann's guilty look and Lakri's clenched fists were telltale signs that Kann had made a mistake. Jarvus just hoped it wasn't going to set them back to much.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked casually.

"Kann made a…extra catch." Lakri said slowly, watching Jarvus' face for anger.

"What kind of 'extra catch?"

"One of the other performers."

"A dwarf?"

"No, the girl, the one who's in the ring with the cats while they're singing."

"So she's like their caretaker?"

"Yes, in a way."

"Alright, well we'll just add her into the deal." Jarvus shrugged "extra money for all of us."

"Can we do that?" Kann asked "I mean, can we sell her?"

"No, but if she was the tigers keeper then I doubt she'll leave them. No one but us and the Dealer had to know that she was for a price."

Kann and Lakri nodded their approval, just as Jarvus knew they would.

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Kelta blew a strand of hair out of her face and tried, once again, to push the top off the cage she was in. the thing was made of some type of heavy metal and refused to budge no matter how hard she pushed. Larken and Maveus were no help, and seemed contented to lounge around and await their fate. Though she loved them dearly, her leopards were often lazy and spent most of their free time sleeping. A nap did sound nice; this entire situation was really out of her control now, and what exactly was she supposed to do once she got out? Waltz around on deck for her captors to see and just stick her in another cage? When she had first awakened in this cage she had beaten her hands bloody and made her throat raw with screaming. It was of no use; it seemed that the ship had been between loads. Now they were most likely somewhere in the middle of some ocean, but after she had gotten herself under control she realized that a quite escape would be best. Her captors might try to kill her, or even Larken and Maveus, if she attracted their unwanted attentions.

Propping her feet on the roof of the cage Kelta relaxed a little. Keeping her balance was a little hard due to the cramped conditions and her aching hands. She was fairly certain that she would have a scar or two, for the bars to the cage were roughly wrought and had many sharp edges, especially near the tops and bottoms where they joined the rest of the cage. As she pushed she thought of the man who had abducted her; the tall Terebinthian had told his partners a boldfaced lie about 'mistakenly' adding her to their catch. Kelta had just been leaving Larken and Maveus' cage after they had fallen asleep when he had slipped into the tent. 'A sweet addition to the pot' he had said as he covered her face with a cloth that had smelled strangely. Then everything had gone dark. It frightened her to think of what kind of how she might 'sweeten' the deal, making her desperation to get out swell in her chest.

Looking over at her leopards, sleeping peacefully, she felt a sense of protectiveness. They were young, only a little over a year, and depended on her for most everything. She had raised them after their mother died in a freak accident. While she was performing her acrobatic routine the ring of fire she was jumping through had collapsed and caught her on fire. She died a few hours later. Her two young cubs had been given over to Kelta, who had trained their mother. She was afraid to try them in acrobatics due to their mother's death but when they began to sing along to their nightly lullaby she knew exactly what to do. Their voices were different from any other singers, rough and slightly growling, but beautiful as well. It gave Kelta and most of their audiences chills to hear the familiar songs sung in their rough purring. She had to be sure they weren't harmed. With renewed determination she pressed her legs against the roof and heaved with all her might.


	2. Chapter 2

Jarvus carefully hid a roll, a slice of ham, and an orange in his coat on his way through the line in the galley. Kelta would be hungry; she wouldn't eat the whole salted fish they fed the leopards which didn't surprise Jarvus at all. The things were _whole_ for Aslan's sake! Lakri had been in charge of her food the first week and all she had gotten was salt tack; Kann had given her the fish, from what he had heard last night. The girl had been so parched and hungry she could barely talk. Jarvus knew that if she died on the trip they would be in trouble. Disposing of a body was not something they could do without being discovered. He had also struck up a sort of friendship with the girl during the long journey. She was really quite nice and he enjoyed talking with her. He told her about Larssa and the expected baby and his dreams for their future, and she spoke of her own home and family. Her mother was dead, as were three brothers and a sister, but she and her father lived in the Archenland countryside with her aunt. She had a lover of sorts back in Galma but they'd had a falling out just before she left. She was on her way back to Archenland when they abducted her, and Jarvus did feel bad for keeping her from her family. He'd promised her that he would make sure the Dealer took care of her and her leopards and sold them to a good home. She might even be able to buy their freedom if she could get in contact with her father. She was a sweet girl; he hoped the best for her despite their situation of captor and captive.

He'd though she was still asleep when he got to her cage, seeing as it was still only mid-morning, but as soon as he saw the greenish tint to her features Jarvus knew something was wrong with Kelta. She was rolled over on her side with one arm clutching her stomach and the other over her eyes. Her leopards were curled up next to her and looked up at him anxiously.

"Kel's sick." Said one, Maveus he thought.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked as he set her food on top of the cage.

"Her stomach hurts." replied the other leopard.

"Kelta?" he said, opening the cage slightly too lean in. He shook her ankle lightly and she lifted her arm to look at him.

"Are you sea-sick?" he asked, though that seemed unlikely so far into the journey.

"Don't think so. Started when I woke up."

"So you just started to feel sick?"

"Yes. Oh!" she rolled onto her back and clutched at her stomach. "Jarvus…Jarvus, I'm going to be sick!" She leapt past him out of the cage and up the stairs. Jarvus shouted and ran after her, and he could hear the leopards coming after him. She dashed to the edge of the deck and proceeded to empty herself into the ocean, so when he reached her all he could do was hold her hair out of her face and pray she hadn't eaten much. When she was finished she sagged onto the deck and put her head between her knees. After a minute she stood and walked slowly back to the cage to lie down. Jarvus knelt down and looked at her through the bars. She smiled weakly at him.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Yes, actually, I feel much better. Almost like new. Just a little woozy, but I always get like this after I've…been sick."

"Mmm" he nodded, "well, your food is here if you want it. I'll leave you to get some rest. Sleep." He said with a pointed look at Larken and Maveus.

"We'll be quite!" Larken said.

"Promise!" whispered Maveus loudly.

"Good; you need to let Kelta sleep so she can feel better." He said over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs. Thankfully no one had been on deck to see what had happened and reveal their secret.

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Lucy watched quietly from the bow of the ship as the girl emptied her stomach into the ocean. The man who had been chasing her caught up, paused for a moment, and then gently gathered up the girls long red hair to keep it out of her face, much like Susan did for Lucy whenever she got seasick. Lucy nearly gave herself away by gasping at the sight of two beautiful white leopards. They had the most wonderful sleek white coats with dark grey rings and spots; their fur looked so soft and silky that Lucy wanted to run down and pet them but she held herself back. There was something strange going on, and she was determined to find out where this girl and her leopards came from. Lucy hadn't seen them on the ship at all in the entire three weeks they had been at sea, and Lucy always made a point to meet everyone. Perhaps Peter or Susan knew her, and perhaps they didn't. Lucy watched as the girl and her leopards turned and walked back down into the cargo hold without any persuasion from the man. She wasn't sure what was going on, but for now Lucy would keep this event to herself.

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Over the next few days Kelta's sickness seemed to get both better and worse. Some mornings she would feel fine, only to become nauseous later in the afternoon. Other days she would be sick in the mornings and fine the rest of the day, and sometimes she would be fine the entire day. Jarvus knew exactly what was wrong with her but decided to let her figure it out on her own. He wished Larssa was there. She would know exactly what to say to Kelta, things only women could talk comfortably about.

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	3. Chapter 3

Kelta awoke with a start from her dreams, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her hands shook slightly and her breath came in gasps. Jarvus, who had taken to sleeping by the cage, woke and unlatched the door for her to get out. She raced to the deck rail and heaved up her dinner from last night. As she leaned over the rail she felt one of the cats bump her leg, knocking her off balance. She teetered dangerously, waving her arms trying to regain her balance, and then the water rose to meet her.

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Peter had been sleeping peacefully when shouts from outside his cabin roused him. He leapt out of bed, grabbing his sword, and raced onto the deck. Pandemonium greeted him as sailors and passengers rushed around, knocking into each other and tripping over deck items. It all seemed to be centered around a man shouting and leaning over the deck precariously.

"Kelta! Kelta swim, swim! Kick your legs Kelta!" he shouted. Peter barely heard the desperate reply

"I-I can't, can't swim!"

Peter noticed Susan and Lucy, wrapped in light dressing robes, standing off to one side and looking anxiously at the commotion. Edmund was right in the middle of it, and before Peter could stop him he dove into the water, a rope tied around his waist.

"Ed!" Susan and Lucy screamed, rushing over to the railing with Peter. They saw their brother surface and swim towards a thrashing figure in the water. The man who had been shouting looked down at them with clenched fists, and it was then that Peter recognized the sandy haired Terebinthian. He only looked for a brief moment, and then turned his attention to his brother who was fighting not only the waves, but the splashes and kicks of the person in the water. He could hear Edmund telling them to calm down, but they didn't seem to hear him. The Terebinthian leaned over and called down again.

"Kelta, Kelta let him help you! Calm down, stop moving, there's a girl! No, Kelta!" his shouts of encouragement turned to horror as the girl sank beneath the waves. Edmund dove after her. The seconds ticked by. Every eye was on the spot where they had disappeared. Several feet away Edmund broke the surface with one arm locked beneath the girl's shoulders, the other pulling him closer to the ship. The men who held the other end of the rope began to tug fiercely, hauling their king and the limp girl up the side of the ship. They crashed to the deck unceremoniously and the Terebinthian man knelt by her side, checking for a pulse and wiping the hair from her face. Her lips were blue and her skin was so pale Peter could have counted the freckles on her face. The man shook her face, shouting her name as he did so. Suddenly Lucy was at her side with the crystal flask of cordial. Gently his sister took the girls face and poured a drop of the healing liquid down her throat. A few tense seconds followed and then a small gasp came from the girl and as she coughed up sea water the man fell back against the railing with relief. Two magnificent white leopards Peter had not noticed before came and nuzzled the girls face as her eyes opened.

"Lark…Mae…?" she asked in a raspy voice.

"Kel!" they shouted in unison.

"Kel you fell off the deck!"

"We thought you might drown!"

"She almost did silly, but that boy saved her!"

"Yeah, you when under that water and he followed you-"

"And Lark cried!

"I did not!"

"Did too!

"Did not!"

"Alright, that enough you two." Kelta said with a small laugh, which turned into a rough cough and more sea water came up. "Whew, I think I must have swallowed the whole ocean!" she said. One of the cats dashed over to the rail and looked over.

"Nope," he called over his shoulder "there's lots left!"

Kelta laughed as she struggled to her feet. Larken stood at her side and she rested some of her weight on the faithful cat. Lucy looked at the girl in wonderment. Susan was about to tell her not to stare but then caught sight of what her younger sister was looking at. The hand that was resting on the leopard was covered with burn scars. They stretched over the entire back of her hand and continued up her arms, disappearing under her sleeve. The skin was pink and slightly faded, so the burns were old and on their way to being covered with new skin but the sight was still awful to look at. Peter and Edmund also noticed the scars, and when she ran her other hand through her wet hair they saw it was also scarred but was nearly healed over so that only a few thin pink lines remained. Her eyes still held some of the terror from her fall, tears shimmering on their dark blue surface.

"Sir, I don't know who you are and you don't know me, yet you risked your life to save me. I, and my family, thank you. I am in your debt. How can I ever repay you?"

Edmund extended a hand but before he could speak Peter broke in.

"Now hold on. Who are you and what are you doing on this ship? What were you doing up on deck at this hour? And exactly how did you manage to fall overboard?"

Kelta's gaze flicked to Jarvus as she spoke. "Sir, I… I didn't have enough money for passage. I stowed away on your ship and this man was kind enough to bring me food. He didn't know I was a stowaway and I-"

"Kelta stop." Jarvus interrupted her. "Sir, several others and I stole these two leopards from a circus in Galma to sell. Kelta was an unexpected addition. She is the cat's trainer and was kidnapped by mistake, if I can believe the word of my partners. The plan was to sell them all to a dealer, but in the past few weeks I've gotten to know Kelta and the cats. I now only want for them to go free when we get to shore. I accept full blame and punishment, but do not expect me to reveal the names of my partners."

"Jarvus…" Kelta said softly, and then turned to Peter. "Sir, if Jarvus doesn't tell you, I will. Their names are Lakri and Kann. And in correction to Jarvus' story, Kann knew very well that I was still in Lark and Mae's cage. He fully intended to capture me as well as my cats. Please Sir, Jarvus is kind and good. The only thing he wants is to be able to provide for his family. This entire thing was only done to help his partners who are heavily indebted. Please, please, do not blame him. You are Captain of a grand ship, surely you cannot understand the-"

"I beg your pardon miss, but I am no captain. I am the High King Peter and this is my brother King Edmund. My sisters, Queen Susan and Queen Lucy are over there. It was Lucy's cordial that saved you."

Kelta's eyes got very wide. A small squeak escaped her lips before she fainted at the High Kings feet. A stunned silence followed, broken by one of the leopards.

"Is she dead?!"

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The healer gathered up her things and turned to Jarvus and rulers of Narnia.

"She will be alright, but she must be very careful for the next…six or seven months."

"Six or seven _months_!"Lucy exclaimed, slightly confused.

"Yes, months." The healer smiled "She's going to have a baby!"

"_What_?!" this came from Kelta, who had awoken only seconds before and was now sitting bolt up in bed. "No, nonono! I can _not _have a…a _baby_!" she looked up "Oh, someone up there has _quite_ the since of humor! Are you happy? I'll bet your laughing at me, aren't you? Oh yes, you think this is _terribly_ funny, don't you?" The rest of the people in the room stared at Kelta as she had her strange conversation with no one. Peter felt a tug on his trouser leg and looked down at one of the leopards. They looked exactly alike and though they had repeatedly told him who was who he still got them mixed up.

"She's not crazy." The cat said matter-of-factly. "The God in the sky is listening to her. She talks with him all the time. He has quite the sense of humor, or at least that what Kel says."

"Oh, just what am I supposed to do, huh? Walk back into his house and say 'Hey there Gavin! I know I told you that I _never_ wanted to see you again, but guess_ what_?! We got a baby on the way so it looks like we're_ stuck_ together!' Yeah, like _thats_ gonna go over _so_ well!" Kelta sighed and propped her cheek on her fist. She looked over at her audience in exasperation. "I told Gavin. that I never wanted to see him again. He's the baby's father. Now what? Knowing him he'd probly say 'Gee Kel, sorry to hear than, but I'm busy now. Hope you and the baby make it alright. See you later!'" she lay back down "Ah well. I guess this is all just part of the game." She seemed to be addressing the sky again as she said loudly "And I fully intend to win this round, just you wait and see!" With that the sleeping herbs the healer had given her took effect and she dropped off into sleep.

**Review? At least give me the benefit of a few words. Also, I'm looking for a few good Cameos to add some color and depth to the story. Anything works. I may not get to all of them at once but I will try to give everyone's cameo a part. I need wacky ones, normal ones, pretty ones, ugly ones...anything! **

_A.N- Hello! Just wanted to update this so that Kelta's lover has the name I want. Before he wasn't going to play a very big part and was mostly for reference but I've changed my mind as we women are prone to doing. _


	4. Chapter 4

When Kelta awoke she found herself not in the brig as usual but lying on a hammock in a well decorated cabin. Forgetting that hammocks are prone to swinging, she rolled over to get more comfortable and ended up sprawled head over heels on the floor. A young girls head popped up over the side of the bed, brown eyes sparkling merrily.

"Careful when you move in these hammock things," Kelta said with mock seriousness as she rolled to a sitting position "they have a tendency to dump you on your backside." The girl laughed and climbed out of bed, extending both hands to help Kelta up.

"By the way, I'm Kelta." She said with a smile and handshake.

"I'm, Lucy Pevensie. Pleased to meet you Miss Kelta."

"Pevensie…Pevensie, wait, _the_ Lucy Pevensie? The queen of Narnia?" Kelta exclaimed, looking a bit pale.

"Well, yes, but I'm not the only queen." Lucy said with a shrug "My sister Susan is a queen as well, and my brothers, Peter and Edmund, they're kings. Peters the High King and Ed's the one who saved you."

"Saved me?"

"Yes. You fell overboard earlier this morning. Don't you remember, you were…getting sick and you lost your balance? Edmund dove over and pulled you back on deck, but not all by himself, the crew did all the pulling really. He's been strutting around like a rooster all day, talking about how he saved you and your baby."

"My baby? I don't have a baby." Kelta said, wrinkling her brow in confusion.

"Well, not yet you don't, but the healer said you will in a few months. Don't you remember any of this?" Lucy asked, looking at Kelta strangely.

"To be honest no. I had a dream I was drowning…"

"Well, it wasn't a dream obviously. I mean, you're in our cabin in Susan's nightgown-"

"Huh?" Kelta looked down and saw that she was indeed dressed in a nightgown of fine, snow white linen with bits of fancy lace trimming. It looked similar to her own nightgown at home, which must have been why she hadn't noticed it before.

"Huh, well tell your sister that I'm much obliged to her for her generous lend." She said with a slight bow, producing a giggle from Lucy.

"Tell her yourself when we see her. She left you a dress on the trunk so we can change and meet her and our brothers for lunch."

"Lunch? Is it time for lunch already? And just how long have you been in here with me?

"Only a few hours. Susan brought me breakfast and a book so I was happy to stay in bed to wait for you to get up." Kelta noticed that Lucy was also in her bedclothes, her hair a rumpled mess. She was sure her own looked no better.

"What time is lunch?"

"A while yet. If you want you can take a bath to get rid of all the salt."

"My thoughts exactly miss Lucy. Oh, I mean Queen Lucy!"

"Oh please just call me Lucy. I hate titles; they make everyone seem so old and boring."

"Very well then Lucy. A bath sounds marvelous right now."

Lucy smiled and went to fetch someone for warm water and a tub. The bath was exquisite, and Kelta made sure to tell Lucy and the serving maid she thought so. The rose scented soap made big bubbles which Kelta blew at Lucy who shrieked and dodged them, giggling as she did so. It felt so good to get the salt off of her skin on out of her hair. When she was done she was wrapped in soft towels to dry off. The maid, whose name was Arin, brushed and plaited her hair and helped her into the pretty yellow day dress Queen Susan had left for her. The skirt was too long and the sleeves a bit too loose but Kelta didn't mind; it felt good to be in a dress again. She had been wearing the trousers she always wore in the training ring when Kann had kidnapped her and the leopards. Remembering her cats, she turned to Lucy and asked where they were.

"Oh, they were here for a while but they left with Susan to eat breakfast. I suppose they're still with her." Kelta rolled her eyes. Those two would do anything for food. Poor Susan didn't know what she had gotten herself into. Larken and Maevus would follow her to the ends of the earth and back now that she had feed them.

"Well, we had better go find them before the talk your sister to death. I swear, they make a magpie sound good." Lucy laughed along with her as they made their way up to the deck. It seemed that the entire crew needed to be directly in their path as they made their way to the galley. Each sailor they passed tipped his hat in the utmost politeness but looked at them a bit longer than necessary. Lucy seemed to notice it as well, for she beckoned Kelta closer and whispered

"Do I have something in my teeth?" wiggling her brows comically.

"No, do I?" Kelta whispered back, opening her mouth wide for inspection.

"Nothing. Hmm, I suppose our hair must look frightful then."

"And our dresses are on backwards. That or they waiting for me to take another swim."

Lucy grinned at her, and then spotted her sibling and Kelta's leopards standing with the captain near the wheel. She grabbed her new friend's hand and rushed up the small flight of stairs to meet them. Susan looked up and smiled as they drew near before turning back to listen to whatever Larken was telling her. Kelta heard the end of what Lark thought was a very funny tale about Maveus and a pigeon.

"-and then Mae snapped at him, but that old bird was smart. He circled around and got Mae right on the ear, and that how come she's got that hole in it."

"Now Lark," Kelta scolded "you know as well as I do that you and Mae should have left Mr. Pigeon alone and not tried to steal that ribbon from his nest. Besides, as I recall it was _you_ who snapped at him and poor Mae took the peck because you ducked." She smiled to show that she wasn't really mad at his version of the tale then turned to Susan.

"Hello, you must be Queen Susan. I'm Kelta, and I suppose you've already met my troublesome duo, Larken and Maevus. I hope they didn't bore you too much with their awful story telling." She said with a curtsy, which Susan returned.

"Oh, they're no trouble at all! I've enjoyed their stories immensely." Queen Susan leaned in closer and lowered her voice "Though I do wonder about the truth in some of them. A bearded giantess who plays the harpsichord is a bit hard to believe."

"Ah, you mean Hilda." Kelta said with a nod "Yes she is a giantess though I must say that if she has a beard she must shave it every day, for I've never seen it, and unless I'm mistaken she plays the flute, not the harpsichord." She shrugged. "I hope you don't think their liars or any such thing. They either get their stories mixed up or are trying to outdo one another."

"Oh, it's quite alright." Susan turned to her brothers "Excuse me, but I am fairly sure that our guest is hungry after having had no breakfast." She turned back to Kelta and Lucy with an exasperated sigh.

"Boys!"

Kelta laughed merrily at that, but quickly turned solemn at the sudden weight of a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face the ship's captain, the real one, and went pale with dread. She had been hoping against hope that he would not approach her about her unusual situation. Taking a deep breath she prepared to beg Jarvus' pardon but was silenced by his raised hand.

"Now lass, don't fret over friend Mr. Jarvus. I've heard the entire story and have already made my decision about whats to be done with him. As captain of this ship I cannot allow him to get off with no punishment, however," he added when her head bowed in sorrow "I have spoken personally with him and find him to be quite the gentleman, even if his past is a bit crooked. Having said that, he will spend the remainder of this voyage in the brig with his colleagues. Upon our arrival in Cair Paravel he and the man called Lakri will be released. The other, Kann, will be sent to prison under charges of kidnapping, seeing as he was the one who did all of the dirty work, and he was the one who intentionally captured you as well."

"Oh, oh thank you sir! Thank you!"

The captain smiled kindly. "Now then, shall we stroll to the galley for lunch?"

"Most certainly kind sir, most certainly indeed!" Kelta said as her stomach rumbled loudly. The lunch was delicious; fresh stuffed crabs with tiny shrimp on the side, warm brown bread, apple preserves and fresh oranges. The captain explained that the oranges were to help keep away scurvy, which comes from not eating enough fresh citrus fruit.

As Kelta looked at the people around her, she couldn't help but see some of her own family in them. The captain was like her father, always telling fascinating stories and laughing a big belly laugh that made everyone around him laugh along. After they had finished eating he asked permission from the ladies before lighting up an ornately carved pipe, just as her father did. Susan reminded her of Aunt Mimi, brushing crumbs from Lucy's skirt and whipping leftover preserve from both Edmund and Peter's faces. When they complained loudly she was remembered how Larkin, whom one of the leopards was named after, and Jay would complain when their mother fussed over them. It was Lucy who struck closest to a memory though. The sweet young girl reminded Kelta so much of her own younger sister Mirin. As she watched Lucy chatter animatedly with Susan, brown eyes sparkling with joy, she sensed that beneath this happy little girl was a young woman with a clear head and compassionate heart. Her Mirin was the same way; she loved animals and people alike, never seeing the bad but the good and always willing to give you a second chance. As she watched the happy siblings Kelta felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. 

She couldn't decide if they were happy tears or sad ones, but as she turned her face so they wouldn't see she felt nearly sure that they were both.

**Scurvy is a deficiency in vitamin C, which most people get by eating citrus fruit (oranges, lemons, grapefruit…). Sailors would get it from spending too much time at sea where fresh fruit was, obviously, hard to come by. I wasn't sure if Narnians would know about vitamin C, but I figured they would know that scurvy could be prevented by eating citrus fruit. I still need cameos, as well as reviews! **


	5. Chapter 5

**I would like to thank my fellow writers, Schmo and Sushi, Mystic Archer Horse, and WriterRen for helping me along. Hopefully my writing will improve, and hopefully all of my readers will start to review. I have gotten zero cameos. Come on now people. I know you're reading this but you're just not reviewing which, for a writer, is very discouraging. **

Peter watched Lucy chat with Susan and Kelta over breakfast and smiled to himself. Lucy needed a role model and it seemed that Kelta was glad to fill the position. Susan had instilled the manners and qualities that Lucy would need as a queen but Kelta was giving her the laughter and fun that she would need as she went through the awkward stages before maturity. Lucy's laughter rang constantly through the ship, mostly due to Kelta's antics.

The girl was delightfully strange, with her crooked grin and absurd mannerisms. She was more likely to shake your hand firmly and tell you a tale than bow her head and blush, as most did when in the presence of royalty. Her bright red hair was quite literally tied into several knots at the nape of her neck and secured with a strip of canvas to keep it out of her face, which was smattered with freckles. Her eyes were blue, grey, and green all at the same time and reminded Peter of the ocean; clear and sparkly, deep and mysterious, bright and mischievous, or dark and angry all in turn.

He had only seen her angry once, and he hadn't been able to decide whether to be amused or intimidated. She had drawn herself up to her full height, just below his chin, curled up her fists and gotten right up in the face of the sailor who had kicked Maevus out of his way. She let loose several choice words, to Susan's shock, shook her finger in his face, threatened to cut off his feet at the ankles, and then turned on her heel to stalk off. Peter remembered how funny she looked standing on her toes to look that sailor in the eye, teetering slightly as the ship rolled on the waves. If she was that protective over her leopards he was sure she would be a wonderful mother to her child. It wouldn't be to long before she began to show her condition. Susan had hinted that Kelta should stay with them in Narnia, but no one had made a direct offer yet. Deciding to take responsibility Peter cleared his throat loudly, causing everyone at the table to look at him.

"Ahem. Lady Kelta-"

"It's just Kelta." She interrupted.

"Kelta then; my siblings and I have been thinking and have decided that it would be in your best interest to stay with us at Cair Paravel until you have had your baby."

"Oh no, no I couldn't do that. I'd hate to impose on you-"

"Kelta, think of the baby, and think of yourself." Susan said gently "We've already decide that you are more that welcome if you want to stay with us. I know that I want you to, and I believe Lucy would just about die if you left."

"We would all miss you terribly." Edmund added. Kelta looked at them, gnawing on the corner of her lower lip as she did so. Peter noticed that her hand had strayed absently to her stomach. She started to speak several times but seemed to rethink her decision each time. Lucy leaned over and took that hand that wasn't on her belly in her own.

"Please Kel." She said, looking up at her imploringly. Kelta sighed lightly and smiled.

"Oh, how is one supposed to say no to that face? Very well Lucy, I will stay with you in Cair Paravel."

Lucy squealed and threw herself into Kelta's arms, Susan beamed at her from across that table, Ed grinned to himself, and Peter nodded affirmatively. Kelta looked slightly flustered at all the attention but smiled brightly anyway. Amid all this joy, the captain climbed down the stairs and caught Peter's eye. He followed the captain back up the stairs and over to the deck railing. The seaman rested his hands on his rather large middle and rocked back on his heels.

"Now then young king, what does that look like to you?" he asked, pointing off into the distance. Peter squinted at the dark smudge on the horizon and grinned.

"Home."

... ...

Kelta stood with Lucy and Susan on the deck looking out at Cair Paravel's port. Off to the east a bit she could see the tall towers in walls of the castle itself. Gathered on the beach were hundreds, possibly thousands of Narnians all waiting to see their rulers. Kelta could hardly breathe she was so excited. Lucy was positively quivering with joy and Susan was smiling hugely. As they drew closer to the deck Peter and Edmund joined them, dressed impeccably. Susan and Lucy were also well attired, Lucy in pink and Susan in soft blue. Susan had once again lent Kelta a dress, this one a pretty mint color that made Kelta think of spring.

"Look Ed, we've a garden growing onboard!" Peter said with a smile as they approached.

"I wonder what will happen if I pick a flower." Edmund replied as he swept a giggling Lucy into his arms.

"Ed, put her down before you wreck her dress." Susan chided, smoothing her own skirts. The ramp was up and the four monarchs made their way towards it. Kelta held back a bit, not sure where to go. Edmund noticed her uncertainty and offered her an arm, which she took with a grateful smile. They slowly walked down the ramp; Edmund, Peter, Susan and Lucy waved and smiled at the crowd and Kelta smiled nervously. Lucy looked over her shoulder to grin and wink at her and she felt a bit better. It wasn't that she was afraid of the people, she loved crowds, but every eye seemed to be on her and though none were hostile most were curious. She desperately hoped that she wouldn't trip or stumble and make a fool of herself. Edmund's arm was strong and steady and every now and then one of the others would turn to smile reassuringly at her. As they made their way through the crowd she found herself smiling a bit larger and even waving to a few of the narnians.

Towards the end of their path a large centaur stood holding four magnificent horses. Only four.

"Orieus! It's wonderful to see you! I trust everything is well in Cair Paravel?"

"Of course sire. Everyone has been awaiting your return eagerly." The centaur noticed Kelta trying to hide behind Edmund. "I wasn't aware that you would be bringing home a guest. I'm afraid there aren't enough horses for all of you." He said with a small frown.

"That's perfectly alright Orieus; you could not have known we were bringing an extra person along. This is Lady Kelta of Galma." Kelta opened her mouth to correct him but then thought better of correcting the king in front of his subjects. "She will ride double with me."

"Oh, no your majesty! I am perfectly capable of walking as long as someone will show me the way!" she said quickly, pleading with her eyes as well.

"Nonsense. You will ride with me." Peter said with finality. Kelta didn't take kindly to being ordered around but Peter was the High King of Narnia and obviously was in his element. She allowed him to lift her onto the huge white horse and swing up behind her but as he urged it forward she hissed

"You will _not_ do this _ever _again!" before plastering a smile on her face. She refused to speak to him when he questioned her words.

It was a long ride to the castle and she was tired. Though she refused to speak to him she couldn't help but lean on him a little. Halfway to the castle he shifted in the saddle to make her more comfortable and said,

"You can go to sleep if you want. I'll make sure you don't fall."

"Mmm." Was all the reply he got, but she did rest her head on his shoulder, and eventually she fell asleep. Her slow, even breaths whispered across his throat as she turned her face into his neck. Her hands were folded in her lap and one slid off to rest on his knee. She made a small noise in her throat and tightened her arms around her middle protectively again. When Cair Paravel came into full sight Lucy and Edmund tore off towards it. Even Susan quickened her horses pace to a canter, eager to be home.

"Kelta," he whispered in her ear "Kelta, wake up."

"Hmm, what?" she mumbled, sitting up. "Oh! Is that Cair Paravel?" she asked, forgetting she wasn't speaking to him.

"Yes, beautiful isn't it?"

"Oh my yes!" she said in an awed voice. "It certainly is."

... ...

Kelta took in the soaring towers and glistening stained-glass windows of Cair Paravel. It was like the picture-castles out of the fairy tale book her mother had read to her. They rode under an enormous arch into a courtyard where even more Narnians waited. Susan, Ed and Lucy waited as well. Peter dismounted and helped her down, then handed his reins over to a waiting faun.

"Thank you Alder."

"Welcome home your majesty!" the faun replied with a bow before leading the horse away.

"Well, are you ready to see your new home?" Lucy asked, coming over to take her hand.

"Yes, I most defiantly am." Kelta said with a smile. She let Lucy lead her over to the massive wooden doors which stood open for them already, paused a moment, took a deep breath, and stepped into the glory of Cair Paravel.

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	6. Chapter 6

**A big thanks to ****RoXxIdEvIl for both adding me to story alert **_**and**_** reviewing. You made my day! Also thank you to lucy2350 for adding me to story alert. To all others, I can't ask you enough times to review. I try to use all of the input and ideas that are given, so if you have an idea for the story, please tell me. I also need cameos! Thank you again to RoXxIdEvIl and lucy2350.**

The instant Kelta stepped onto the polished marble floor she knew her life was taking a turn for the better. Her father had made plenty of money, they were never without and far from poor, but she had never seen anything like the splendor of Cair Paravel. Twin staircases came down on either side of the entryway, their dark mahogany railings shining in the light provided by high arched windows. The torches that lined the walls would provide light after the sun set and Kelta could imagine how the flickering flames would dance across the floor and marble columns, both veined lightly with gold and blue.

Larken and Maevus, not to be left out, zoomed through the doors and skidded across the floor helter-skelter, their claws making horrible screeching sounds as they scraped the floor. Kelta gave a cry of dismay and took off after them, but didn't take into consideration the slippers she had borrowed from Susan. She hadn't run two steps before her feet went out from underneath her and she landed on her behind with a thump, sliding across the floor on the smooth material of the silk dress she was wearing. She came to a spinning halt between two of the large marble columns, flopped onto her back and lay still to catch the breath that had been knocked out of her. She heard the clatter of boots and the whisper of slippers and looked over to see a horrified family of rulers rushing to her side.

"Oh Kel, Kel are you alright?" Lucy asked, falling to her knees at Kelta's side.

"Kelta, oh my what happened, did you fall?" from Susan

"Aslan's mane Kel, you slid a right good ways. You alright there?" from Edmund

"Are you alright Kel?" Peter asked as he and Edmund lifted her to her feet gently.

"Yes Lucy I'm fine, of course I fell Susan, it was a rather good slide if I do say so myself Ed, and yes I'm, perfectly alright Peter." Kelta said as she brushed herself off, not that there was any need to; the floor was spotless. She turned to see how far she had come.

"Whew! That really _was_ a good slide Ed! I was trying to get Lark and Mae but my feet slid out from under me in these silly shoes, no offense Susan. Now, where are my silly kitties?" she said, planting both hands on her hips.

"Here we are!" they said in unison as they came from under the stairs, paws still sliding every which-way comically.

"Alright you two, no more shenanigans. I want you on your best behavior while we are staying here, understand?"

"Yes Kel." They chorused.

"Promise?" she said, raising a brow.

"Yes, we promise!"

"I'm sure they won't be any trouble Kelta." Susan said, smiling down at the leopards adoringly. Apparently they could do no wrong in the elder queen's eyes. Lucy grabbed Kel's arm before she could reply.

"Come on Kel, I want to show you around!" the girl said, tugging on her hand, causing Kelta to nearly fall again. She threw her arms out to steady herself laughing as she said

"Whoa now Lucy, slow up a bit please! Ugh, this is ridiculous. You know what-" she said sitting back down in the middle of the floor "You know what, I'll fix this right now!" Lucy looked at her curiously.

"What are you doing Kel?"

"I'm gonna scoot across the floor Lucy." she said sarcastically.

"Really?!" Lucy was obviously very literal. Kelta sighed, rolling her eyes as she corrected her younger friend.

"No Lucy, I'm not actually going to scoot across the floor."

"But you said-"

"I was being sarcastic Lucy." she said monotonously, raising her brows comically and producing laughter from Lucy instead of the embarrassment that would normally come from her rather sharp tongue.

"But really Kel, what are you doing?" Edmund asked.

"I'm taking off my shoes." Kelta replied, leaning over to untie her shoelaces. The Pevensies looked on as she removed both shoes and then her stockings as well, proclaiming 'Can't very well walk around in silk stockings on this fine marble floor can I? That would be just as bad as the shoes!' When she was finished she and Lucy took off up the stairs with Lark and Mae in hot pursuit.

Lucy's idea of a grand tour involved them dashing around from one random room to another. Lark and Mae were relieved to find that after the entrance the only other rooms with marble flooring were the ballroom and a few of the bath places. The rest of the rooms were floored with dark wood, rich carpets, or grey stone. The locations of the paintings Kelta saw fleetingly as they ran from room to room were stored in her mind for a later, calmer inspection. Eventually Lucy's energy began to run out and she decided to show Kelta her room. They entered Lucy's room and Kelta got her first really good look at some of Cair Paravel's more subtle splendor. Lavender silk hung from the walls to keep some chill out in the winter and provide decoration to the otherwise dull grey walls. The rest of the room was done in a pretty shade of green, the color of new mint leaves. The bed and furniture was made from white oak 

wood, and complemented the other light shades of Lucy's room. Normally Kelta would never have put purple and green together but these shades looked pretty and feminine. Tiny flowers in various different colors dotted the green bedspread; the thick carpet was covered in more delicate flowers and scrolls and vases of real, fresh flowers filled the room. Paired with the breezy curtain, the view that looked out over the farmlands outside the palace and the light colors of the rest of the room Kelta felt like she was in a meadow instead of a room. She went over to the window and looked out at the landscape. Busy Narnians could be seen going about their tasks, cheerfully greeting one another along the way. Somewhere in the orchards a skylark sang out to the bright afternoon sun. Kelta smiled and turned back to Lucy.

"Oh Luc-" she stopped short at the sight of Lucy, Lark and Mae curled up together on the bed, fast asleep. Quietly she slipped from the room and gently closed the door. Looking about her she tried to remember which way she and Lucy had come from. Clucking her tongue she set off in what she thought might possibly be the right direction.

… … …

Edmund strolled about the courtyard, hands in his pockets and the sun on his shoulders. His old boots made hardly any sound on the stone path; he had changed into more comfortable clothing soon after arriving home. He reached up and plucked an apple from one of the trees growing along the path, polished it on his shirttail and took a large bite. '_There are defiantly advantages to being home.'_ He though as the juice dripped down his chin. When they were traveling he always felt like he was being watched, so dribbling juice was not something he got to indulge in. Smiling to himself Edmund whipped his mouth, reached up and took another for later, then continued down the path.

He walked through the small ivy covered gate that led to a more private garden that only the royals and those with permission were allowed into. He was halfway through when he paused. '_That's strange, this gate is always closed.'_ Susan always threw a fit if it was left open, and everyone who was allowed in made sure to shut it behind themselves. He looked about suspiciously for whoever was not supposed to be there. Seeing no one immediately he latched the gate and continued his walk. His destination was the domed stone and glass gazebo in the centre of the garden. It was a nice spot to rest and think; if he was in a mood Edmund could generally be found there. Bringing the apple to his mouth Edmund rounded the corner and froze mid-bite. There in the middle of the gazebo was Kelta, her face upturned to the stained glass roof, arms raised, spinning slowly around and around. He crunched his apple loudly and she whirled around, her arms still outstretched.

"Oh, umm, hello Ed." She said nervously, tucking her hands behind her back. "I was just umm…looking at the ahh, the glass…" her voice trailed off and she shrugged. Edmund looked up at the glass murals of various Narnian creatures and stories. At the very top of the roof, right in the center of the murals, was an amazingly accurate depiction of Aslan. The golden lion was shown in mid-step, his large head angled downwards to look at those who chose to sit beneath him, his eyes seeming to show all the love and wisdom he possessed. Kelta looked at the lion as well, saying quietly,

"Is that him? Is that Aslan?"

"Yes, that him." He looked over at her and smiled. "Though, if you want to see him up closer and in more detail you'll have to go look at the picture in the library. It's so lifelike, I half expect him to speak when I look at it." She moved to stand underneath the picture of Aslan, the yellow-gold light playing across her upturned face.

"He looks so…wise, like he knows everything there is to know and is ready to both share it and keep it secret. If that makes any sense." She smiled at him, then narrowed her eyes slightly looking more closely at his face. Her eyes sparkled merrily as she walked over to him, giggling softly behind her hand.

"Edmund, you have apple on your face!" she laughed.

"Where?!" he asked, highly embarrassed.

"Right here." she said as she raised her hand, lightly brushing the corner of her own mouth to indicate the offending apples position. He quickly whipped at the spot; she laughed and shook her head.

"No no silly, now it's on your chin. Here let me." She reached up and brushed at his chin, laughing quietly as she did so.

"There, all gone." She grinned crookedly at him. He grinned back. The bell in the watch tower tolled seven times to tell all in the castle the hour. Edmund turned and offered Kelta his arm saying,

"Dinner time" and wiggling his eyebrows. She gladly took his arm; lunch had been a long time ago. They quickly made their way back inside, Kelta's stomach growling the entire way.

**Review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello all! I apologize for not updating in forever! I've been mucho busy. I will try and update regularly now that I've got a solid schedule down. Special Thanks to bballgirl3022 for adding me to your favorite stories list, and of course ;) to the wonderful Mystic Archer Horse, for reviewing. Thanks for your support!!**

… … …

Susan pounced on her as soon as she and Edmund entered the castle. With a brief hello to Edmund she and a small army of Narnian maids swept Kelta away and up into Susan's room. There they quickly stripped her down to nothing but her underclothes and taken her hair out of its rather askew bun at her nape. They then sat her down on a frilly white dressing chair and went to work. Kelta was poked, prodded, brushed, pinned, curled, pulled and painted for what seemed like hours before she was allowed to look in the mirror. When she finally did see herself she jumped in surprise, for it was as if she were looking at a picture of herself three years back.

Her mother had loved to throw magnificent parties and balls; she, Kelta, and her sisters had always dressed up in fine gowns and done up their hair. Papa and the boys would dress their best as well and they would all make a grand entrance together. From her very first ball, Kelta had always cherished the time she, her sisters, and her mother spent getting ready together. Mama would brush and fix their hair, and often they would wear matching outfits. Now as she sat in Susan's room with maids sighing over her and Susan she remembered how much she liked dressing up.

Her hair was curled and piled atop her head in a shining red-gold mass with little white silk roses tucked here and there throughout it. Susan's hair was exactly the same, but her beautiful crown was placed on her head instead of flowers. Glittery white eye paint, pink lip rouge and her naturally pink cheeks completed the work to be done above her shoulders. Then they brought out the dresses. Susan's was made of royal purple velvet with pure white lace that trimmed her shoulders and made up the entirety of her bell shaped sleeves and frothed softly down the front of her full skirts. The bodice cinched tightly to her small waist then flared out at her hips. Little purple slippers were slipped on her feet and a delicate silver chain with a single white lily was fastened around her neck and Susan was finished.

Kelta's dress was an entirely different style from Susan's and came as a total surprise to her. She had expected to be wearing one of Susan's gowns; perhaps altered a bit to better fit her, but the queen and her seamstresses had been working since their homecoming to have her own gown ready in time. It was made of pale green silk, the exact color of new spring grass, and had and overdress of sorts that covered the entire length of the gown like a giant spiders web made of the most delicate white flowery lace she had ever seen. A closer look found the flowers to be roses, exactly like the ones adorning her hair. What pleased Kelta the most was the gowns over all silhouette. The small off the shoulder sleeves, made of the same white lace as the overdress, gave her free arm movement; the fabric was snug across her breast but beneath them it dropped away to fall loosely over her torso to the floor. She looked at Susan with a mixture of joy and appreciation.

"For when I get-" she made a circle with her arms over her stomach "-all big and full of baby!"

"I've never heard it put that way, but yes." Susan hesitated, looking uncertain. "Do you really like it, because you don't have to wear it. If you want something more formfitting you can always borrow one of my gowns."

"Susan, I love it. Really and truly love it. I can't imagine how hard your seamstresses must have worked to have it ready in time. It's magnificent." She said as she reached out to touch the delicate lace and silk. The maids helped her step into the wondrous dress and button the row of pearl buttons marching neatly up her spine. A strand of perfectly matched pearls was draped about her neck and a pair of white silk slippers were put on her feet. Kelta laughed aloud at the soles of the shoes, which had a thin strip of leather on them to keep her from 'sliding about the dance floor', in Susan's words. They had only been ready for a few minutes when Lucy burst into the room followed more slowly by Peter and Edmund. Lucy was dressed in a sunny yellow gown trimmed in dark gold braid. Half of her hair was pulled into a twist atop her head, the other half loose about her shoulders. No flowers or jewels adorned the young queen, except for her crown and a small nosegay of sunflowers permitted by her elder siblings' .Lucy seemed completely happy with that arrangement. Peter wore a red and gold tunic with an emblem of Aslan embroidered on the front; Edmund a dark blue and silver with an enormous stag embroidered on his. The Pevensies shared a knowing smile when Kelta asked about the stag, promising to tell her later. Lark and Mae were each given gold collars set with jewels, Lark's with rubies and Mae's with pink topaz. Kelta protested the expensive jewelry, which Susan insisted was a gift from her to the leopards, and made up her mind to repay the cost somehow.

The family and their guest made a grand entrance to the party. The ball room, filled with merry Narnians, was made of splendid marble and had an enormous crystal chandelier hanging in its center that, along with smaller lamps hung about, provided shimmering light. After a seemingly never ending line of guests were greeted, Peter and Susan made their way to the floor to start the dancing. The musicians struck a chord and launched into a lively reel. Kelta clapped along with the crowd as the king and queen whirled about. She recognized the tune as the Lords Reel, a traditional dance in the courts at Galma. Her brother, Blace, had always looked like a stork with a broken wing when he participated in that particular dance. The memory made her smile, and she got so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't notice the flustered young man standing before her for some time.

"A-ahem. Um, I was wondering if, perhaps, if it suited your ladyship, if perhaps there was a chance…"

Kelta grinned at the poor boy. The was about her age, maybe a bit younger and had a head full of wavy chestnut hair, a smattering of freckles across his slightly hooked nose and babyish cheeks, and the most enormous hazel eyes she had ever seen. She took and immediate likening to him and stuck out her hand in a jaunty fashion.

"Kelta of Archenland and Galma pleased to meet you! And you are…?

"Oh! Mavric, Mavric of Archenland, also pleased to meet you." The boy said as he shook her hand briskly. Her smile and odd manners seemed to put him at ease. He returned her grin and revealed a row of white teeth with a slight gap between the front two.

"So, Mavric what was it you were stuttering to ask me?"

"I was going to ask you to dance, however judging by you quick tongue, I should be more content to stand and make conversation whether it be polite or impolite." As she laughed Kelta replied;

"I'm a woman of many talents. I can dance and speak at the same time. Can you, Sir Mavric?"

"Of course!" he said as he took her to the floor and began to skillfully guide her about the floor to another reel "The only question is, will the conversation continue to be a battle of wit, or may we move on to getting to know one another?"

"I suppose I can get to know you. Tell me, why are you here?"

"On business. I'm the Archenland ambassador's only son, so I travel most everywhere." Mavric was quite a talented dancer. Kelta had couldn't remember having ever danced with a better partner.

"Are you really? So you've been to…"

"Every province and island and country in Narnia. Though none are as beautiful as Narnia, not even my own Archenland, thought our women are considerably better looking than Narnia's. "

"That's quite a record! It must be wonderful to be able to travel so much. And the only reason Archenland women are more attractive is the fact that most Narnian women aren't human! Though I do agree, Archenlander women are quite beautiful, as are Galman women."

"Do you say that because you truly think so, or because you yourself are from those countries?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows at her comically.

"What would make you think the second?" she asked, tossing her head airily.

"The fact that I agree. Galman women are also quite beautiful; I suppose a truly beautiful woman would come from both countries. You wouldn't happen to know someone of that heritage would you?"

"I might." She said with a coy smile.

"Seriously, you are quite stunning Lady Kelta of both Archenland and Galma. Quite beautiful indeed."

"How long are you here for?" she asked, not quite sure how to respond to such flirtations from a practical stranger.

"It all depends on-"

Mavric paused as they executed a particularly complex dance step which called for Kelta to duck beneath his arms while turning on her left foot as he revolved around her before continuing.

"-how agreeable yonder King is." He finished, inclining his head towards Susan and Edmund who were also dancing.

"Edmund?"

"No, the other one who seems to be scowling at us."

Kelta looked over her shoulder past Edmund and Susan. Peter was indeed scowling rather fiercely at something that was defiantly in her and Mavric's direction from the side of the dance floor. She furrowed her brow, wondering what could have made him so angry. Before she could ask Mavric about it, Peter started across the dance floor towards them. They slowed, Kelta shooting her partner a questioning look, as the High King stopped in front of them.

"Lady Kelta, would you mind stepping out onto the terrace with me for a moment?" he said tersely

"I'm a bit busy at the moment Peter, perhaps later?" she said as she kicked Mavric on the shin to get him going again. He winced and began to lead them away when Peter reached out and took her hand from his, pulling her from Mavric's embrace.

"Peter! Honestly, what is so important that you must be rude to one, nay, _two_ of your guests?!?

"Now Kelta." Peter growled through tight lips. She turned back to Mavric and offered apologies for them both.

"I'm sorry Mavric. Perhaps we can continue this later tonight when King Peter doesn't require my immediate presence."

"It's perfectly alright. I do hope you'll sit with me at dinnertime though."

"Of course." She promised as Peter practically dragged her out to the balcony. He shut the glass door with a slight bang and turned to face her, eyes ablaze.

"Do you know with whom you were just dancing?"

"Mavric of Archenland, the ambassador's only son. Why?"

"That was no ordinary ambassador's son! Mavric Conleysson defies not only his own king but myself and my siblings at every possible time! He is a sneaky, devious, plotting-"

"Funny, good-natured, handsome young man! How dare you say such things about him, how dare you! Do you even know him? Have you ever even spoken with him?" Peter sighed, looking very tired suddenly.

"Kelta, I do not wish to make more of a scene tonight. Please heed my words and stay far from him."

"Answer me Peter! Have you ever spoken in person with Mavric?"

"No, I haven't, but my sources are very reliable."

"Then you should also heed my words. Speak with him. Get to know him before deciding your opinion of him. Please." She said softly taking his hand in hers.

"Please Peter."

He looked at their intertwined hands and sighed again.

"Very well. I shall speak to him privately."

"With me there was well to act as an unbiased friend." He smiled slightly and nodded as they walked back into the ball room.

As far as dinners go, the one served that night was spectacular in Kelta's opinion. A perfectly roast goose basted in currant sauce, dozens of boiled quail with steamed asparagus, three types of fish, a mountain of fluffy white mashed potatoes smothered in an herby butter, bowls of fresh berries swimming thick cream, enormous quantities of green beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, and many other vegetables piled artfully on gleaming sliver trays, six different cheeses, two very old wines and several pitchers of fruit juice and milk for the younger narnians who partook in the feast. At first Kelta had felt self-conscious about her portions sitting next to Susan, who seemed to merely sample here and there; then she looked across the table at Lucy and Edmund, both of whom had plates piled high with food, and felt better. Mavric, to her left, also had a large quantity of food on his plate. Kelta had sought him out both to sit beside him as promised and to forewarn him of he and Peters impending meeting. He seemed pleased at the chance to redeem himself in the High Kings eyes and made for as pleasant a dinner partner as he did a dance partner. _'Besides,'_ she thought looking at Lucy's plate again, _'I'm eating for two now.'_, and added an extra scoop of potatoes to her plate.

… … …

**Tada! Reviews?**


	8. Chapter 8

Kelta was awakened by the sensation of warm, leafy-smelling air drifting across her face. '_What could Lark have eaten to make his breath smell like salad?'_ she mused sleepily. She gave a huge yawn that turned into a scream as she open her eyes to stare, not into Lark or Mae's deep gold eyes but a pair of brilliant red ones. She sat bolt up and tossed a shrieking ball of white fur to the foot of the bed where it was quickly lost in the mountain of blankets. The sheets remained still for a few moments, then a small lump began to move about. Kelta watched with fascinated terror as it got closer and closer to the edge of her coverlet. The second scream that was building in her throat stopped short when a pair of long white ears followed by a delicate pink nose peeped from the silk. Slowly, slowly a soft white rabbit emerged, quivering all the way to the tip of its fluffy white tail. Kelta felt her heart melt as she looked at the little creature that she had obviously frightened.

"Oh, you sweet little thing." She said, extending a hand in what she hoped the rabbit would take for gesture of friendliness. "I didn't mean to toss you like that, but you scared the wits out of me."

"O-oh, beg-ging your ladyships p-p-pardon. I-I was only trying to see if your ladyship was awake." The creature said with a bow. "I never meant to frighten you; it's just that her majesty Queen Susan sent me to see if you had awakened." The rabbit paused and looked up at Kelta "I-I suppose you are awake _now_ but that is completely my own fault and I am deeply sorry to have awakened you in such a manner. I completely understand if you wish to return to your slumber."

"Nonsense," Kelta said as she swung her feet to the floor and went to the wash basin. "if Susan sent you to see if I was awake, it must be time for me to be awake. What time is it anyway?" she asked before splashing water on her face to rid herself of any cosmetics that might have been leftover from the previous night.

"Half past nine, milady." The rabbit said promptly.

"Oh please do call me Kelta. Half past nine indeed! I certainly have slept the morning away. Have the others already eaten? Do you have a name, Sir Rabbit? Have Lark and Mae been seen this morning? Oh, and you wouldn't happen to know where my clothes are would you? Am I asking too many questions?" she asked as she scurried about the room trying to get herself together.

"High King Peter and Queen Susan have already broken their fast, but King Edmund and Queen Lucy have only just awakened; they will meet you in the tearoom in an hour. Your cats were seen headed towards the library with Queen Susan soon after they ate. Your new dresses are hanging in the wardrobe, along with new underclothes and two pair of shoes. You do ask a lot of questions but we rabbits are well known for being able to keep up with such things which is why Queen Susan thought I would be well suited to serve you if it so pleases milad-oh, Kelta. And my name Season and I am female."

Season seemed a bit miffed that she had been mistaken for a he-rabbit so Kelta apologized quickly as she turned to the tall cherry-wood wardrobe in the corner of her room. The rest of the furniture was also made of cherry, which complimented the sunny yellow silk of her bedding. Last night she had been so exhausted she hadn't even bothered to look about her room, and so she took a minute to do so. The wall behind her canopy bed was covered in soft yellow silk but the rest were bare, showing the smooth grey stone that Cair Paravel was made of. A thick cream colored run sat beneath her bed to keep her from having to experience the shock of cold stone on her feet when she got up in the mornings. A vanity desk with a yellow cushioned chair, large oval mirror, several jewelry boxes and various pots of rouges and perfumes sat near a door, which on further inspection proved to be a separate chamber for bathing. Huge windows, which doubled as doors to a balcony took up most of the east wall.

Kelta pushed aside the gauzy yellow and cream curtains and stepped out onto the balcony. The view and sounds of the sea were spectacular; the crystal blue waves crashed to shore, leaving a rim of white foam in their wake. Seabirds soared overhead calling to one another and swooping down to catch a morning meal. Off to the north a ship was making its way into the harbor. Kelta sucked in a sharp breath as she looked at the Galman flag waving in the breeze atop the mast of the ship.

_Gavin._

"Your Father, little one." She whispered framing her stomach with her hands.

"Excuse me Lady Kelta?" Season said from within the room, thinking the words directed at her.

"Nothing, Season." With a final look at the ship she turned back to her room. Gavin. What would he think, what would he do when he found out about the child? She had to write to him, swallow her pride and ask him to come get her and take her back to Galma. He would love to do that, to come play the White Knight and sweep her back home on his gallant steed_. 'Or in his case, ship.'_ She thought. But what about Lucy and the other Pevensies? She couldn't just up and leave them after they had done so much for her. And Lucy had become so close to her Kelta didn't know if she would ever be able to leave. As if to help confirm her thoughts Lucy burst through her door singing her good mornings.

"Good morning Lucy-Love" she said with a laugh and a kiss "How are you getting along on this splendid day?"

"Very well, thank you. Are you ready for breakfast?"

"I'm afraid not Love. I slept entirely too late and then got distracted by the view from my balcony. I haven't even picked out what I'm going to wear."

Lucy bounced off the bed where she had been sitting and went to peer inside Kelta's wardrobe.

"I think you should wear this one." She held up a sky blue, square-necked frock with simple white eyelet trimming and capped sleeves. It was exactly the sort of dress she would have worn about the house in Galma, but with the same loose bodice of her ball gown last night. Queen Susan had done an exceptional job at guessing what sort of clothing Kelta normally wore and modifying to fit her new needs.

"A wonderful choice My Queen! The color will make her pale skin seem even fairer." Season commented from among the pillows where she had made herself comfortable.

"Not to pale I should hope, otherwise I might look sick." Kelta teased. She was pleasantly surprised when Season made a face at her and settled back into the bed. _'Spirited little thing, that one_.' She thought. At Lucy's persistent urging she dressed, combed her hair out of its snarls and set off to the small dining room where Lucy said they took their informal meals. In the hallway they met Edmund who was on his way to see if they were ready.

"I'm starved!" he declared passionately.

"I don't know why, you ate half the banquet last night." Lucy said with a playful shove at her brother.

"And you ate what I didn't little piggy!" he laughed as he tousled her hair.

The banter continued through breakfast which consisted of scrambled eggs, toast, marmalade and sausages served with fruit juice. Edmund and Lucy invited Kelta to go for a horseback ride with them but she declined under the excuse of needing to go to the library to find Lark and Mae. Edmund gave her precise directions and she soon found herself in a massive room filled with books. The tall arched windows let in summer sun and warm sea breezes; large fireplaces ensured warmth for the winter months. Comfortable looking blue and gold velvet chairs were placed throughout the room as well as little mahogany tables that were the perfect size for reading or writing letters. The immense bookcases held more volumes than she had ever seen. Lovingly she caressed the leather-bound spines, pulling some out at random to skim the first pages. The sound of male voices brought her out of her reverie with a start. She rounded the end of a bookcase and came upon Peter, Mavric, and a middle-aged faun sitting around a small table. Peter's head was thrown back, his deep laughter ringing over the more polite chuckles of the faun and Mavric was beaming as he waved a book about enthusiastically.

"And then the horse tossed him into the river! That was without a doubt the funniest thing I've ever seen!" Mavric said between bouts of laughter.

"I say, if I were your Uncle I would have sold the thing and been done with it." The faun said, slapping the tabletop with his palm as he grinned.

"Oh no, not him. Uncle Cristoff is as hardheaded as they come. He once got into a brawl over- Lady Kelta!" Mavric broke off his story when he caught sight of her peeping at them around the bookcase.

"Lady Kelta? Why would your Uncle-"

"No, no, Lady Kelta!" Mavric said as he got to his feet.

"We meet again, fine lady." he brought her hand to his lips.

"So we do fine Sir." She replied with a curtsy. Peter greeted her with a friendly hello; the faun stood and made an elegant bow.

"My Lady."

"Oh, Kel this is Mr. Tumnus, a dear friend of the family." Peter came to her side and smiled warmly at the faun.

"I'm terribly pleased to meet you Mr. Tumnus. I do think I saw you last night at the party, but we weren't introduced."

"Yes, I remember Lucy talking of you in great detail. You have her enthralled." Tumnus said with a smile.

"Lucy is a dear and I love her fiercely already, thought we've only known each other a few weeks at the most." Kelta returned his smile as he nodded in agreement.

"I'd like a word with you Kelta. Excuse us please." Peter grasped her elbow lightly and guided her a short ways though the library to another table. He pulled a chair out for her before sitting himself. He was silent for a moment, seeming to be gathering his thoughts.

"I-" he paused and frowned. "I just wanted to thank you for…encouraging me to speak with Mavric myself. You were right, my sources were biased and Mavric suffered for it." He looked down, as though ashamed for himself. Kelta's compassion won over her initial thrill at being right and she reached across the table to cover his hand with her own. He looked back up and gave her a smile, which she gladly returned.

"What I am wondering is how you two met up so quickly and why I wasn't informed of it." She said, withdrawing her hand to cross it over her chest in mock anger.

"It was a rather chance meeting actually. I was coming to get one of my favorite novels and found him reading it. We started talking about it and other books, and before we knew it we were joking and laughing like friends. When Tumnus came and joined us things just got better. That's about when you found us." He paused "What are _you_ doing in the library? I thought Ed and Lucy would have taken you with them on their ride."

"They offered but I needed to find Lark and Mae. Have you seen them?"

"I believe they went with Susan to the gardens."

Kelta snapped her fingers in annoyance. "Honestly, they can't leave poor Susan alone."

"Actually, it's Susan who can't leave them alone. She's become quite attached to them, though I can't for the life of me figure out why. I'd think they would be a bit too silly for her, on offence." He shrugged as though the whole situation baffled him.

"Yes, they are quite silly, not to mention wild and troublesome. But, if Susan likes them, they may spend as much time with her as they like. Soon enough I'm not going to be able to go running off after them." She said with a pointed look at her belly.

"How are you feeling this morning, by the way?"

"Fine, just fine. I wasn't sick or anything. Oh, thank you for sending me Season. She's perfectly wonderful for me."

"That was mostly Susan. She thought the two of you would get along. Another maid, a wood nymph I think, will also serve you."

"Thank you." He stood and walked back towards Tumnus and Mavric but turned when she called out.

"I need to write a letter!"

"You can find paper, quills and ink in the cabinets over there." he said, pointing towards the northern fireplace. "If you don't mind my asking, who are you writing to?"

"Gavin, the baby's father. I'm going to ask him to come here if that alright with you." Peter smile and nodded.

"That would be excellent."

Kelta returned his smile and went off to find the writing supplies she needed. She found the cabinets Peter spoke of and selected a jar of black ink, a peacock feather quill and two sheets of thick white paper. '_Better make it three…or four…or…oh what's the use?' _she thought and grabbed a whole stack. There was no telling how many sheets would go to waste; her mind was so scrambled she could barely think straight. How should she tell him? The last thing she wanted was to sound accusing or miserable because she wasn't. She chewed a thumbnail without thinking, and then stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. '_Oh honestly, it's just Gavin!'_ and with that put her pen to the paper.

_Gavin,_

_You and I have been through a lot with together. Even so, I feel certain this next shenanigan of ours will shock you, so you had better sit down. You and I are going to have a baby. Well, not you per say, but you are its father. I'm sure of that. I'm in Narnia at castle Cair Paravel staying with the Kings and Queens. How I achieved this is quite a story, but we'll save that for later._

_The baby should arrive sometime in February or March. Gavin, a letter is not going to be enough. I've been through so much since the last time I saw you. To tell you the truth, I'm frightened. I'm all alone here except for Lark and Mae, who miss you dreadfully by the way. The Kings and Queens of Narnia are extraordinarily kind to me, but I need you. I'm afraid, Gavin, truly afraid. I cannot do this by myself. Please, please come to Narnia. I need you._

_Kelta_

She quickly folded her letter and sealed it with blue candle wax from a nearby taper. As an afterthought she leaned over and pressed the pendant Gavin had given her into the cooling wax. It was a cunning trinket, a small circle of ivy with a pair of doves beak to beak in its center. Gavin was sure to recognize it immediately. Satisfied with her work, she returned her unused supplies and went to find someone to deliver her letter to the next ship setting out Galma.

_Sorry this took so long, I'm not really supposed to be writing for FanFic anymore so I have to wait for my mom to be out of the house before I can work. This often proves difficult because she now has a real job and gets home at 4:30, ten minutes after I come home from school. I thank everyone who has added me to their alert, but do wish you would review, although I admit that this long gap between updates does make me rather unworthy. Still, love is appreciated and welcomed! _


	9. Chapter 9

As Edmund rode into the stable yard he was in high spirits; he and Lucy rode down to one of the towns to the west and had a grand time. Phillip was puffing slightly from the race they had lost on the way back. Nari, Lucy's favorite mount, was smaller and faster which upset poor Phillip greatly. After trouncing them soundly Lucy and Nari had gone off to the training fields to find more worthy opponents. Only half listening to Phillips grumbling he looked over and saw Kelta speaking with Alder, one of the head groomsmen. The faun seemed a bit ill at ease, wringing his hands shifting his weight from hoof to hoof. Worried something was amiss he rode closer and heard the end of their polite dispute.

"I am certain you _are_ very capable of riding, but I simply do not know if the majesties would allow it given your delicate condition my Lady." Alder said, wringing his hands again, in obvious distress. Kelta seemed both frustrated and invigorated by the argument with her face flushed but her eyes sparkling.

"Delicate condition! Sir, I can assure you my condition is far from being delicate. Just the other day when I chased my leopards through the entryway of the castle I tripped, slid nearly the entire length of the room and was perfectly fine! I danced and laughed and had a very enjoyable time at the ball later that very day!

"Dancing and merrymaking are entirely different and much less strenuous than horseback riding my Lady."

Kelta snorted in a very unladylike fashion at that.

"Clearly Sir, you have never danced a Galman reel. One must be in the peak of physical health to do it properly and I myself danced three as well as several other vigorous dances!"

"I understand that my lady but I really do not feel comfortable allowing you to ride all the way down to the docks unattended."

Edmund dismounted but did not move from his horses' side. This was a rather new side of Kelta that he had never seen. Her manners and words were those of a cultured lady, aside from the snort, and far from her usual ways. He was both mystified and enchanted by her and though he would never admit it to himself, a bit intimidated by the sudden refinement.

"If you think about the situation as I do, I shan't be unattended." She continued, unaware of Edmunds presence. "The horses in Narnia are, to my understanding, quite clever and capable. They speak, do they not?"

"Indeed they do but a horse does not have hands with which to help you should you need assistance."

Kelta threw her hands in the air with a shout, the well-mannered lady gone, and spun on her heel. Her sullen march was cut short when she caught sight of him.

"Edmund!" she cried, hurrying over to him. "Oh Edmund you must come and tell them that I am perfectly able to ride a horse! They refuse to let me ride go as far as the dock and I must deliver this letter to the ship that's sailing to Galma!" she waved a folded letter about his face wildly.

"What's so important about the letter that it needs instant delivery?" He asked, plucking it from her grasp to examine it.

"It's for Gavin!" she said, snatching it back. There was something strange in her eyes as she looked down at her letter. Her brow wrinkled a bit as she ran a finger along its edges.

"I'm asking him to come here. Peter says it's alright and now my only fear it that-" a shaky sigh interrupted her words. Edmund watched in awe as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"My only fear is that he won't come." She finished in a quiet voice. "I can't imagine my child growing up without a father. Edmund…Edmund what am I going to do if he doesn't come?"

Not sure what to do, he took her hand a held it lightly between his own. He couldn't imagine what her thoughts were but she seemed so sad he wanted to help if he could. She looked up and smiled sheepishly, as though embarrassed to have been crying in front of him.

"I'm sorry; I don't know why I was crying. I usually don't do things like that." She said wiping her cheeks "Rather silly of me, as I'm fairly certain Gavin _will_ come. He loves children."

"And he doesn't love you?"

"Oh, well of course he loves me. But it's a different kind of love, more of a friendship. Much like ours." She replied, removing her hand from his grasp. Edmund was skeptical.

"I don't mean to offend you or imply anything indecent, but friendship got you with child?"

"Well, we were more than friends when…" she blushed and shrugged "When this happened. It's complicated and a rather long story."

"If you don't mind I'd like to hear it on our ride." He said turning back to catch Phillips reins and walk to the stables.

"Ride? To where?" she asked, following close on his heels.

"To the docks of course, you'll need a horse if you want to get back before tomorrow; Phillip here isn't much good with one rider, much less two. We just lost a race to Lucy!"

"I could have won; it's just polite to let the ladies win. A king should certainly know that!" Phillip retorted. Kelta tilted her head back and laughed, giving Phillip a pat on his neck.

"I'm sure you could've friend. Politeness is something we should all strive for, isn't that right Edmund?"

"Of course it is. Now let's find you a decent horse."

"I'd like to pick my own, if you don't mind." She said, scratching behind Phillips ear, one of the horses favorite spots. He was leaning into her hand, eyes closed blissfully.

"You seem to have him charmed; I _suppose_ you can choose your mount."

He grinned cheekily at her. She swatted at his arm and stepped into the stables. The smells of leather, hay and horses mingled pleasantly with the fresh air from the meadows that blew in through the open doors and windows. Horses called greetings from their stalls, many leaning over the doors for a scratch or pat. Edmund watched as she spoke with each of them in turn, asking their names and such. When she had met them all she came to confirm her choice.

"The silver mare in the third stall on the right, Lindy, I think."

She pointed to her chosen mount. Edmund was unsure; Lindy was spirited and disliked being confined to walking. He himself had ridden her once and been pleased at her liveliness but felt uneasy about allowing Kelta, now three months pregnant, to take Lindy out on the open roads with large fields on either side that might tempt the mare to break into a run.

As he pondered this Kelta had made her way back to Lindy's stall and was running a stiff bristle brush over her slivery coat. Lindy craned her neck to watch and chat with Kelta as she progressed down her spine. Suddenly the brush slipped from Keltas' fingers and fell to the floor.

"Drat it all!" Kelta exclaimed and bent to retrieve it. Before she could reach it, however, Lindy nipped it neatly up into her mouth and turned to hand it back to Kelta.

Edmund watched them return to their conversation as though nothing had happened, but he saw the meaning in Lindy's actions. Over the past few weeks Keltas stomach had grown and begun to make bending a bit more difficult for her. It would still be a while before her condition would be completely obvious; she barely showed thanks to the style of her dress but her movements had defiantly become stiffer and more confined. Lindy saw this and was able to help her in a way that did not hurt her pride. Lindy would be good for her he decided, and after she had the baby he was sure she would enjoy the full extent of Lindys quick nature.

"Go ahead and take someone else out." Phillip said with a sigh. "Lindy is too fast for Nari, much less me."

"Come now old boy! Kelta's pregnant, you know, so she can't afford to anything faster than a sedate trot, if that."

"Very well, but I'm warning you, if that little mare gets it into her head to race me I'll never forgive you!" Phillip said with a toss of his head.

"Kelta," he called "You had better ask one of the groomsmen to help you find Lindys tack."

In a matter of minutes they were on the way to the wharf. Kelta proved to be an excellent horsewoman and Lindy did not seem to mind the slow pace a bit. The sun was shining warmly with just a hint of the cooler fall weather that was approaching to keep it from being overly hot. They passed many Narnians going about their various errands and jobs who smiled and called out salutations. They had been traveling for a while before Edmund made good on his request to hear her story.

"Well, I was born in Galma to a ship's Captain and Lady. My mother was the only child of a Lord in Archenland and he was outraged when she fell in love with a merchant sailor. He washed his hands of her, but by that time my father's business was becoming very well known. Soon enough he had a small fortune of his own and was able to give her nearly everything her father had. She had their first child, my brother Marcos, about a year after they were married. Later there came Tovar, Arris, Larken and I, Zem and Miria. We had a house on the coast in Galma and were quite happy there. Mother threw wonderful parties and balls, Father would take us on voyages with him; we were a very close family. My fathers' business was thriving and we were never without the luxuries of upper class citizens.

Then, four years ago the plague swept through Galma. My father, Marcos and I were in Archenland visiting his sister, my Aunt Mimi. By the time we got back, it was too late. They were all dead. Mama, Tovar, Arris, Zem, Miria…and Larken. Lark was my twin, my other half. You know how they say if one twin bumps their knee, the other can feel it, even if they're miles away? Lark and I had that connection. When we were sailing back to Galma, trying to get there in time to take my family away, I got sick. It wasn't the plague, but it was similar. Everything that Lark was suffering, I was too on a milder degree. He hadn't gone with us to visit Aunt Mimi because he was training to become a soldier. Father was so proud of him, we all were.

We buried them all in their favorite places at our home, Mama in her iris garden, Tovar next to the stables, Arris by her rose hedge, Zem by his climbing tree, and little Miria beside the creek. Lark is by the tree where our swing hangs. We spent hours there, talking and swinging together."

Kelta stopped to look at him. He waited for her to continue, not wanting to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing and striking a nerve within her. Her voice had become ragged and choked as she spoke about her twin. He could tell that it was hard for her to say all that she was. She was silent a moment longer, lips pressed together in thought.

"After that Papa, Marcos and I spent nearly all our time at sea. About two years ago Marcos married Sirya, a Galman Lords daughter. They have a baby boy, Ferrix, with the curliest brown hair you've ever seen on a baby. I met Gavin at their wedding. He was so handsome and charming! With his dark hair and those blue, blue eyes he had all the ladies near swooning. We took an instant shine to one another and became lovers soon after. We lived in his home at the main port at Galma and on his ship; he's a merchant of sorts. That was the happiest I'd been in a long time.

I got a job training the large cats in a performing group called the Gathering of the Extraordinary owned by Mr. Dovery Matland. That's where I met Zarren, Lark and Maes' mother. She was an acrobat, and her best act was what Matland called the Death Ring. It was an iron ring that was lit on fire and positioned on a forty foot tall pole so she could leap through it from one platform in the air to another. It was a fifteen foot jump, but she made it every time.

We were putting on a show at a Summer Fair out in the countryside when the accident happened. The pole holding up the ring wasn't set properly and when Zarren was halfway through it the whole thing collapsed. I ran to her and beat the flames out but it was too late, the fall had killed her. That's how I got these scars on my hands."

She held hands out for him to see. They were nearly gone, but the shine of new pink flesh could still be seen running in thin veins along her palms and fingers. From what he knew about burns the evidence would never be completely gone.

"I was devastated. She left the two three month old cubs and an amazing career as an acrobat behind. Matland wanted them to continue her line but I refused. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, how I would take care of them until they were a year old. I sing them a lullaby every night and when they started to sing along I knew that this was their talent. Leopards have unique voices, and when the two of them sing it's amazing. Words can't describe it; I'll have to ask them to sing for you one day.

Gavin remained close to me through all of this. We did almost everything together. He carried me three miles to the doctor when I got burned. Everyone expected us to get married and have half a dozen children but we knew we weren't ready for that just then. We almost never fought, but when we did it was bad. The last one was the worst and I left angry and hurt for my Aunts home in Archenland. That's when I was kidnapped. The rest you know; you rescued me and brought me here."

"What was it about?" he asked.

"What was what about?"

"The fight. What happened?" realizing that he might be prying to far he added "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just wondering."

"I don't mind. It's rather silly actually; I wanted to have potatoes with our dinner that night and he wanted carrots. I loathe carrots, so naturally I objected. That turned into me being a hardheaded, opinionated, spoiled wench and him being an egotistical, chauvinist, bastard. And that's the watered down version. I've never been able to take being yelled at well, so I left."

"Carrots and potatoes?" he couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, carrots and potatoes, but even before that we had stopped being lovers. It was an on and off sort of thing, but we still lived together and were friends when we weren't…intimate. He's my dearest friend." She winked at him

"Even if he is a gloating, pigheaded bigot!"

**Hello! I was home sick for half of the day and got a good portion of this done last week and then was sick again today and finished it! This was mostly to help you really get to know Keltas character and story. Hope you find it satisfactory. Review Please!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Once again I am at home sick. Blah. However, this does give me a whole day to write uninterrupted and I am glad of that. Hopefully my sickness (fever and a dreadful cold) will not impair my writing. Oh, there are a few curse words in this chapter (Kelta has a painful experience) so if that offends anyone I apologize. **

_'This is not going to be pleasant.'_ Kelta thought as she watched Edmund talking to a fruit vendor on the roadside from Lindy's back. Standing there in the afternoon sun, haggling over prices with the faun and grinning crookedly Edmund looked dreadfully appealing to her. She felt the knot in her stomach and flutter in her heart that Gavin formerly produced. The mix of joy and dread, coupled with anxiety over her letter to Gavin made her feel a little nauseous. Though she and Gavin were no longer intimate she still felt a small sense of loyalty to him and her new-found feelings for Edmund grated against every moral fiber in her soul. _'You're absolutely determined to make this as difficult as possible for me aren't you?'_ She wondered, looking up at the sky.

"Say what now?" Edmund asked, handing her a scrumptious looking orange.

"Oh, I was-" She broke off with a huff of frustration; certain he would not understand, distracted by the hand resting very close to her knee on Lindy's side, and embarrassed that she had spoken aloud. "I was talking to myself." She finished lamely, picking at the orange peel.

"To your Sky-God you mean?" he asked, almost nonchalantly, as he bit into a plum.

A bit surprised at his reaction to her talking aloud to what was, as far as he knew, a nonexistent being, Kelta squeezed the orange harder that she realized and shot a sprinkle of juice into her eye. She yelped and clapped a hand, which was covered in even more juice, over her eye. She felt Edmund pulling her off of Lindy but could not see because her eyes were watering so badly. She slid in very unladylike fashion to the ground and clipped her chin on what she thought might have been Edmund's collarbone. He had to pry her hand away from her face to see her eye which was tightly shut and leaking tears at an alarming rate.

"You have to open you eye so I can see it Kel!"

"No, no it hurts!" she shrieked, pressing her hand back to her eye.

"Kel let me see!"

"No, damn it, I said it hurts you ignorant ass! Shit!"

"Did you just swear at me?"

"Yes I bloody swore at you!" she said knocking his hand aside and turning away from him. To her astonishment he laughed at her. She looked over her shoulder with her good eye to glare to him and he only laughed harder.

"You-" laughter "-are so-" even more laughter "-strange!"

"I'm so very glad I can provide you with such amusement." She said dryly, rubbing her smarting eye. Still chuckling to himself Edmund raised his hand once more to try and help her. He paused when she gave him a murderous one eyed look, laughed again, and took her face between his hands.

"You've got to let me help you or you'll be hurting for a while. Just let me look." He tugged gently at her wrist and frowned when she resisted.

"Kel…Look, you've gotten orange juice all over your hands and by rubbing them on your face you made it worse. It burns, doesn't it?" she nodded and with a sigh let him remove her hand. He wiped the area around her eye with the end of his sleeve and slowly pried her eye open. She hissed in pain and her eyes watered uncontrollably when the air hit the offending eye. She tried to pull away and close her eyes again but Edmund held fast. She cursed loudly when he blew on her eye, making it water even worse than before.

"I know, I know, it hurts, but your eyes have to water to get all the juice out. Why did you squeeze your orange in the first place?"

"Because you surprised me." Her eye was starting to clear and the stinging was defiantly going away.

"I surprised you? What did I do?"

"Most people have a different reaction to my tendency to talk aloud to no one. You seemed so okay with it, it surprised me and I squeezed the orange. I clench my fists a lot."

He let go of her face and she blinked rapidly, the burning sensation almost completely gone. Finally able to concentrate on something other than her eye Kelta realized how close she and Edmund were standing. Her back was against Lindy's side and he was so close to her front that the hem of her skirts brushed his boots. She cleared her throat softly and he stepped away, a light blush coloring his face. She could feel her own face growing hot and was terribly glad that the fruit vendor had taken his cart and continued down the road so no one had witnessed her little scene.

"You bashed my chin on your shoulder as well!" she grumbled rubbing at the offending spot. Edmund gave her an incredulous and awfully adorable look, forcing her to cover a smile with a scowl.

"Honestly? Honestly Kel, you are without a doubt one of the most hardheaded people I've ever met. Only Peter is worse in my opinion!"

"Ah, but that's why you like me Ed my old friend. I keep you on your toes, and there's rarely a dull moment when I'm around." She said, flouncing back to Lindy and grinning over her shoulder at him. He shook his head but smiled back and she knew her sharp words were forgiven.

_'He's quite handsome when her smiles like that.'_ Kelta caught herself before that thought turned more serious._ 'What am I thinking; he can't possibly get involved with a person like me. I'm only seventeen, unmarried and pregnant. It's daft of me to even be feeling this way. Come on now Kelta, get yourself together!' _

… … …

_'Aslan she's stubborn!'_ Edmund thought as he swung back into Phillips saddle. _'She doesn't expect anyone to understand her or help her, and when someone does, she panics.'_ He shook his head and smiled. _'She looked so shocked for that second before the juice started to burn. Her eye must have been stinging awfully, and it's still rather red. They were the most unusual shade of blue when she yelled at me…'_

… … …

_'Oh my, what a touchingly strange scene!' _Thought Cannor the fruit seller as he watched King Edmund and the young lady arguing. He prided himself on being one of the first to find all the really good gossip and this was the best bit since Queen Susan's first marriage proposal from Prince Raman six months ago. _'Prinny's going to love this!' _ he thought as he tottered off down the road to the village.


	11. Chapter 11

**Ha! Snow days are just fabulous, aren't they? I am fully recovered and ready to really get this plot rolling. As a side note, the inspiration for that last chapter came from a personal experience; mine was with a lemon and I don't wish that kind of pain on anyone, even a fictional character, so I changed it to an orange which is only slightly better. Oh the awkwardness of a first date…**

Kelta and Edmund spent the rest of the ride in an uncomfortable half-silence. The letter was successfully delivered into the hands of the Galman ship's captain, who happened to know Gavin personally and was expecting to meet him at port in Archenland only three weeks from his own departure from Narnia.

"Oh aye, the young rascal's bringin' me a shipment o' seed potatoes an' some dates from Galma when I get to Southport." The barrel-bellied seaman said, scratching his graying beard.

"How ironic; seed _potatoes_." Edmund commented, referring to she and Gavin's nasty parting.

"Oh shut up." She whispered, pinching his arm before returning her attention to the Captain.

"So you'll be seeing him soon, as in a month's time soon? This letter is terribly important."

"Aye lass, I'll see him in a months' time, dependin' on fair weather and the like." He paused and squinted at her. "You wouldn't 'appen Kelta Balaqri would you? 'Cause if's are, I'm to give _you_ a message."

"Yes, yes I'm Kelta! Who sent me a message? Was it my father?" she nearly shouted, quivering with joy.

"No, not your father, it's from young Gavin. Come, it's in me cabin."

Kelta followed eagerly, and Edmund could not help but notice her fists clenched in excitement. _'Good thing she hasn't got any oranges.'_ He thought to himself as he entered the captain's cabin.

"Here we are, to Kelta Balaqri. I believe he's sent one with ever' ship he's met since you left hopein' someone would find ye."

Kelta tore the letter open, her eyes scanning the page rapidly. She smiled and pressed a hand to her heart as she read, toying with the silver charm around her neck. She flipped the letter over to read what was on the back and Edmund noted the neat, crisp handwriting with virtually no ink blots or words marked out. _'Apparently he's an orderly fellow, more so than Kel anyway.' _Even the address on Kelta letter was covered in splatters of ink and had several words crossed out. Her writing sprawled across the paper in a frenzy of loops and flourishes punctuated with large drops of spilled ink. He though how much her penmanship matched her personality; flighty and a bit runaway.

"So he_ is_ worried about me. Perhaps he will come after all, if his words are to be trusted. Have a look Edmund." She said handing him the letter.

_My Kel,_

_I hope you have not gotten into any serious trouble, but knowing you I fear that may not be the case. When I came home and found you gone I immediately when to Matland's, determined to bring you back if I had to toss you over my shoulder like that morning last winter when you refused to go to work. Remember how you shouted and swore? I do; you left a bruise in the exact shape of you foot on my chest! It had toes and everything! But I am getting off the subject._

_I found Matland standing outside Mae and Larks' cage looking very upset. When I asked him where you were he said he did not know; you had just disappeared. You were there that morning but when your time came for the night show, neither you nor the cats showed. I asked around and found out that three strange men were sulking about the grounds that day. I can only assume they have kidnapped you and the cats. Now, I know you are able to care for yourself, but if they have harmed you I promise you they shall regret it. No one hurts my Kel, or her darling leopards and you know that well. _

_I know you are probably still angry with me and have yet to forgive me for shouting at you but please Kel, if this letter finds you well and safe I beg you to write me. I miss you and not a moment goes by that I do not think of you and wonder where you could be. I have sent at least twenty letters like this one with various ships, hoping one will find you. _

_I have not told your father you are missing but Marcos knows and is furious with me for letting you out of my sight. If you have any love left for me you will write and prevent a confrontation. He has never liked me and I fear I would have to fight him and we both know a simple sailor such as Marcos would be no match for a savvy pirate like me. Jokes aside, I really would rather not face down your brother. I will try my hardest to find you, and will not give up till I do but please, set my mind at ease. Please write me. _

_With love and a kiss,_

_Gavin_

He handed the letter back to Kelta wordlessly, thought whirling about his head. With love and a kiss. That's how he signed his letter. Edmund got the impression that even if Kelta were past being in love with Gavin, he did not share those feelings. From the way Kelta was smiling to herself, he got the sinking feeling it would not take much convincing on Gavin's part to get her to go back to Galma. He had no business to feel as resentful as he did towards Gavin, but the less mature part of him wanted to tear the letter apart and be done with it. The sound of Keltas' voice brought him out for his thoughts.

"Edmund. Edmund? Edmund!"

"Oh! Yes, what is it?"

"We have to get going or we'll miss dinner and I for one do not wish to do that."

"Of course. Thank you for being so helpful Sir, we greatly appreciate it." He said bowing slightly to the grizzled captain who returned the gesture, looking a bit unsure of himself.

"My thanks as well kind sir, you've taken a great burden off my mind." Kelta said with a bow of her own. They left to the sound of the captains' hearty laughter.

… … …

Back in her room at Cair Paravel Kelta stood out on her balcony and watched the sunset turn the ocean gold, then red, then purple and finally silver-black in the moon light. Her thoughts flitted from one thing to another never staying on one thing for more than a minute or two. Lark and Mae were fast asleep on her bed, curled against one another and snoring softly. She heard Season leave and the muffled sound of a door shutting down the hallway. The Pevensies would be sitting around the dinner table still, talking over the day and what was to come tomorrow. She was always invited to partake in these discussions but tonight she simply wanted to be alone. It had been a long day but though her body was tired she could not seem to settle her thoughts down enough to sleep. Her mind moved restlessly from one subject to another despite her relaxed surroundings. With a sigh she turned go to the library and find a good book. _'Perhaps that will calm me down.'_

She slipped on a light robe over her dress and walked down to the library. She opened the door but found a small group of Narnians playing a card game and decided to go instead to the gardens. When she reached the gardens she was disappointed yet again. There were several gardeners doing some late night pruning and a flock of owls had just woken up of the night and were hooting to one another from their roost. They were not overly loud, anyone inside would never have heard them, but the gardens were now out of the question as well. _'Is there anywhere in this entire place that isn't humming with…life?' _She turned to go back to her room and nearly collided with Peter.

"Oh, Peter, I didn't hear you coming!" she said as he steadied her.

"Sorry to frighten you, but I saw you out here alone and thought you might want some company." He smiled and offered her his elbow. Not wanting to offend him, she took the extended arm they began a slow stroll down the path. They walked in silence but it was not long before Peter noticed her discomfort.

"Are you alright Kel?" he asked, looking down at her concernedly.

"Oh, well, yes really but at the same time no. I was- I was looking for someplace quiet to think."

"Ah," he nodded in understanding "May I suggest the beach then? There's never anyone down there at this hour but you'll still within safe distance of the castle. The moon's bright enough tonight so you should be able to see without any trouble."

"Thank you Peter." She whispered, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "I just need to be alone for a while. I've got …plenty to think about."

"I understand, but remember, you can always talk to any of us about anything you like. No one is going to judge you here Kel."

"I know." She said over her shoulder as she walked towards the path leading to the beach. "I know."

She made her way carefully down to the beach and set off along the shoreline. Kicking off her shoes, she stepped into the surf and let the cool water slosh around her feet. Something inside her longed to be further in so she took another step, then another, then another till she was waist deep. On an impulse she dipped back and submerged her entire body, shivering as the cold water covered her. She stayed beneath the waves till she couldn't hold her breath any longer and came up with a gasp. It felt so good she did it again and again, plunging under and letting the ocean rinse away her tension. She could almost feel the stress of the past few weeks washing away with the tide, and as she turned back to the shore she found herself smiling. She picked up her shoes and began the walk back but something caught her eye and she turned to see what it was more clearly.

The shoes fell forgotten from her hands. Standing before her was the most magnificent lion she had ever seen. He was big, his eyes level with her own, and the purest gold color; it was as if the sun itself was shining from within him. She froze, unable to move, unable to speak. He opened his mouth and she tensed, fearing he would make a meal of her. He seemed to sense her fear and smiled gently at her. _'Smiled?' _she wondered but did not complete her thought. The lion had opened his mouth again and she braced herself thinking only _'What about my baby?' _over and over.

"Peace, Little Mother." He said in a deep, resounding, surprisingly soft voice. "I am Aslan."

All she could manage was a small squeak. This was Aslan, King of All, Slayer of the White Witch, and he was speaking to her. Yet, his voice sounded familiar, like one out of a dream that she could only vaguely remember.

"Yes, you remember me; think Little Mother. Remember your childhood. I spoke to you then and you have had faith in me ever since."

Suddenly she knew that this was the voice of her conscience, the Sky-God that had been guiding her since the day she and Lark were caught in a thunderstorm when they were seven. She had cried out for help and a voice, Aslans' voice, had answered and calmed her fears.

"I remember you." She whispered, dropping to her knees in the sand. "You are the Voice. I know you now." She bowed her head, ashamed that she had not recognized him earlier.

"I did not come to humble you, nor to frighten you. I came because I wished you to see me, to know me, and to love me as I truly am. Stand up my child, for we have much to talk about." She did as he said, resting her hand on his great side, and they walked together.

They spoke of many things; every thought that had been weighting on her mind the past weeks was discussed. Some of her questions were met with a straightforward answer but many were not. He told her it was not his place to reveal the future and that she had to wait and have faith in him. The pink of dawn was just appearing on the horizon when he turned to her and bid her goodbye.

"You must return to your friends now. Remember my child, have faith and all will be right."

On an impulse she threw her arms about his neck and buried her face in his long, warm golden mane. He laughed softly and tugged away from her grasp, but before he turned to go he touched his nose to her belly and whispered in a voice to soft for her to hear. Then without another word he walked down the beach and out of sight.


	12. Chapter 12

**A very special thanks to AnnCann sending me such wonderful reviews! You rock! Another thank-you goes to Jazz_Dancer, Schmo and Sushi, WriterRen for reviewing as well and of course thanks to my delightful friend Mystic Archer Horse. Umm, let's see, thank you to i-luv-zack, jjnnrr, SingingInTheRain1989, Kirsten Erin, bballgirl3022, RoXxIdEvIl, lucy2350, Schmo and Sushi, WriterRen, and Mystic Archer Horse for adding me to Story Alert lists. Oh, and to Vanillastar for adding me to **_**every**_** list! You also rock! Lol, I just looked back to get all these names and was like 'With no Music…? Wtf is that?' (For those who don't know, that was the original title for Part of the Game). Anyway, on with the plot!**

A sleepy, sandy, drenched, peaceful Kelta trudged through the kitchen on her way to her room, hoping to avoid drawing attention to her rather unseemly appearance. Her hopes were dashed when a young kitchen maid, an Archenlander from her looks, recognized her and sounded the alarm. She was swept up in a horde of fussy, chiding women and no amount of protesting on her part could dissuade them from taking her to see Queen Susan '…this very instant!' She was herded through the hallways and corridors and shoved through the dining room doors.

"Wai-" her protest was cut short by the doors decided slam. _'Ok, well, hopefully they will have already eaten and be gone…' ___

"Kelta!?!"

_'…or not.'_ She slowly turned, an over-dramatic wince plastered on her face. A bone crushing pair of arms encircled her and her face was pressed into a man's chest. Three other pairs of arms grasped whatever limb wasn't covered by whoever was squeezing her. Wet, rough tongues swiped over her bare toes franticly and she giggled at the strange sensation.

"Kelta we were so worried about you! Lucy went to get you this morning and Season told her your bed hadn't been slept in all night!" Susan's' voice sounded close to her left ear.

"I thought you had run away or gone to find Gavin on your own!" Lucy's face was pressed to Kelta's back, muffling her words."

"And I remembered that I had told you to go to the beach and feared you had gotten lost, been kidnapped, or drown!" Judging from the vibrations of his chest and how loud his voice sounded Kelta figured it was Peter who held her.

"And I was just worried about you." That was Mavric's voice.

"Mhric! Hmmdphthoogetheree?"

"What?" everyone else chorused. She pulled away from Peters grasp and repeated herself.

"I said, 'Mavric! How did you get in here?' but Peter was determined to mash my face in so I suppose it wasn't understandable."

Peter blushed lightly and muttered something about being glad she was safe. Kelta strolled over to the table, Lark and Mae in hot pursuit, and plucked a buttered biscuit from a platter. As the others returned to their seats she glanced about the room, absently stroking Mae's head.

"I was invited actually." Mavric said, coming to stand beside her. "That's usually how one gets the chance to eat with royalty, by invitation." He grinned devilishly at her.

"Well, I'll have you know that I dine with said royals every meal, thank you."

"Not every meal." Susan said "Kelta where were you last night and this morning? We were so worried!" she came over and took Kelta's hand, remnants of worry etched onto her lovely face.

"Susan, there was no reason to be worried, I was perfectly safe."

"Safe! Kelta you were alone on the beach all night. And look at you, soaking wet and covered with sand!"

"Kelta, if you won't think of your own safety, think of the baby's." Peter said softly.

"Peter, Susan, Mavric, Lucy-love, I can assure you I saw perfectly safe. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, could have harmed me and my baby last night, In fact, I was probably safer there than I've ever been in my life."

"How Kel?" Mae asked, looking up at her with frightened gold eyes. Kelta kneeled down and wrapped her arms around the leopards, burying her face in Mae's silky fur.

"I was with Aslan my loves." She whispered.

"Aslan? Aslan's here!" Lucy shrieked, racing for the door.

"No love, not anymore." Lucy stopped and looked at her questioningly. "He left this morning. You won't find him here for a long time I'm afraid." She looked around the room again, still kneeling beside Lark and Mae.

"Where's Edmund?" she asked, realizing who was missing.

"Ed!" Peter cried, smacking his hand on his forehead. "He's been out looking for you since the moment he found out you were missing! He must be halfway to the port by now. He was convinced you were trying to return to Galma alone." The High King rose as if to fetch his brother but Kelta halted him.

"I'll find him Peter, don't worry! I've a feeling I know exactly which ship he's headed for." Kelta jumped to her feet and raced out the door.

"Kel! You can't just-"

_Bang!_

"-leave." Susan finished staring at the closed door.

… … …

Lindy raced down the road and Kelta's heart soared with her. The horses' powerful legs ate up the roadway and in fifteen minutes time had reached the halfway point between the port and Cair Paravel. Never before had Kelta ridden a horse with such speed and spirit; it was exhilarating. The wind whipped at her face and made mischief with her already tangled hair but Kelta could not have cared less at that moment. Her mother had been an expert horsewoman and Kelta inherited her inborn love for all things equestrian. Her father would laugh at them when they came in from a day's ride; history had never seen two women so glad to be windblown and mud spattered before them he claimed.

"There they are." Lindy panted. Kelta looked down the road and saw a weary brown horse walking alongside its rider.

"Are you sure?" she shouted over the clatter of Lindy's hooves.

"I'd know that horse anywhere, its Phillip alright." She returned and neighed loudly to announce their approach. Both horse and riders head snapped up and as Lindy slowed to a walk Edmund ran towards them. Kelta slipped from the saddle while they were still some distance apart and headed towards Edmund in a slower fashion, somewhat befuddled by his continued sprint.

"Now Edmund, I know you're angry with me for disappearing but- Oh!"

Her explanation was cut off by two things; another bone-crunching embrace and a pair of lips pressing against hers. It was a quick kiss, followed by a long hug, but a kiss nonetheless.

"Kel! We all thought you had left for Galma without saying goodbye!" he said, squeezing her again.

"Edmund," she whispered breathlessly "Edmund I was at the beach talking with Aslan, not running away."

"Aslan? Aslan is here?"

"Well, not anymore, he left at dawn, but he was here last night and that why I was gone. I was talking with him. Oh Edmund, He's the Voice, my Sky-God! Aslan is the Voice!" 

"I knew that." He said, releasing his hold on her waist to take her hand and starting towards the horses.

"You knew? How?" she asked as she followed behind him, tugging his hand lightly.

"Well, I didn't _know_ know, but I had a pretty good hunch." He plucked her from the ground and set her on Lindy's back and pulled a face.

"You're getting heavier Kel!"

"Oh! Edmund!" she punched his shoulder in mock outrage. "You don't say things like that to a lady!"

"But if I recall correctly you don't like the title 'Lady' and have told me numerous times you aren't one."

"Why, you are so impossi- wait…" she looked down at him with a strange expression.

"Edmund, you kissed me."

"That I did." He swung expertly onto Phillips back and twisted to see her, completely composed and unembarrassed.

"But, but you _kissed _me!" she squeaked out, the total opposite of composed and unembarrassed.

"Kelta, I was happy to see you. I do the same to Su and Lucy when I haven't seen them in a while." Phillip turned back towards Cair Paravel and Kelta nudged Lindy in the same direction, determined not to let Edmund get away without a satisfactory explanation.

"You saw me yesterday!"

"Yes I did but I thought you had left and thus was happy to see that you had not. Kel, why are you pushing this?" he pulled Phillip to a stop and leveled her with an intense brown-eyed gaze.

"Why are you avoiding it?" she returned with a green-eyed gaze of her own.

"It was a gesture of happiness at your still being here, nothing more."

"So there was no other meaning; the only happiness was because I'm still in Narnia?"

"Are you implying that you felt something more?"

"Are you implying that you wanted me to?"

"Damn it Kel!"

He reached over, caught the back of her head and kissed her again, almost angrily. She responded by fisting her hands in his hair and kissing him with equal vigor. They jerked apart, stared at each other, and kissed again. Lindy, deciding they had done enough kissing, shifted and nearly sent Kelta crashing onto her face. The two people quickly righted themselves and spurred their mounts into a walk, pointedly ignoring one another, and continued their journey to Cair Paravel. Kelta chanced a sidelong look at Edmund; he darted his eyes in her direction; she peeked at him through her hair; he covered a glance with a yawn-stretch. Finally, still not looking at her

"Did your fights with Gavin usually end in that way?"

"More or less."

'_Usually more…'_ she thought, but did not mention that fact to Edmund. Things were getting complicated, just as Aslan had said they would, but she was not sure exactly how to deal with them. '_Aslan said have faith, so faith is what I'll have.' _She turned, caught Edmunds eye.

"Race you."

**Ok, darlings sorry about the super-duper late update. I have been so annoyingly busy… but that's never and adequate excuse and I apologize. However, this is Spring Break for me, so expect several updates this week. Ciao!**


	13. Chapter 13

After trouncing Edmund and Phillip soundly in their race Kelta, although in exceptionally good spirits, was so tired she could hardly drag herself to her room. She fumbled with the door handle, shoved the heavy oak door open and made a beeline for her bed not caring about her sodden, salty, smelly clothes. The only thing she wanted was a nap. A nice long nap.

"Bath first."

"Naps are better, so I'll nap first." She mumbled drowsily.

"No, a good hot bath and a sound scrubbing are what you'll get first my Chick, then a nice long nap."

'_Chick?'_

Kelta swung around as fast as her body could manage and was startled to find a woman sitting in her hearth-chair knitting steadily as she looked at the dirty young woman standing with her mouth agape. She was a plump woman with brown hair that was streaked with grey, crow's feet fanning out from her chocolate colored eyes, and laugh lines around the corners of her mouth. She wore a simple dark blue dress and her hair was twisted up into a serviceable bun atop her head. Kelta thought her to be in her late forties or early fifties, a bit younger than her Aunt Mimi.

"I beg your pardon Madam, I did not see you there else wise I would have greeted you properly." Kelta said, dipping into a curtsy. "My name is-"

"Kelta Balaqri. My name is Doria Kentworth. I knew your father and aunt when we were just little things so I asked if I might have the pleasure of waiting on you during your stay here. Now then, I've taken the liberty of having hot water brought up so you can get clean before you rest. Let's get you out of those wet, filthy things so you don't catch cold and into the tub."

While she spoke Doria stood and began whisking about the room with surprising speed for someone of her age and build; pouring the steamy water into the tub and making short work of Kelta's clothing. Kelta was clean, dressed for bed, wrapped in a blanket and sitting by the hearth in record time. Doria was pulling a comb gently through her hair to remove the mass of snarls and tangles, humming softy as she worked. The fire was so warm and the motion of the comb was so steady and soothing that Kelta soon felt her eyes grow heavy. Doria helped her to the bed and tucked her in snugly, humming steadily as she did so, and Kelta fell asleep to the sound of an Archenland lullaby and the fire crackling.

… … …

For a week she was laid up with a terrible cold and fever just as Doria had predicted and was quite grumpy about it.

"But Susan, before too long I'll be bedridden because I'm full of baby so I think I should be allowed some freedom for now." She pleaded from the mountain of pillows and blankets that had accumulated on her bed.

"No. You're going to stay in this room and in that bed till I say otherwise. Your fever has only just broken yesterday and you're already trying to escape."

Susan declared this fatal statement from her seat by the fire where she was toasting her feet and attempting to read her book. It was true though; Just that morning Kelta had tried to sneak out of the room and go to see Lindy but her plan was spoiled when Season caught her. The rabbit had then called Doria, who called Susan, who called Peter, who simply picked her up and placed her back in bed. Now they made sure that someone was always in the room with her, even while she slept.

"You're devious enough to try and fool us, so we'll just be sure." Doria has said when Kelta expressed her outrage at someone being in the room, watching her, as she slept. Lucy tried to make things better by bringing her books; there were frequent games of cards with the elder Pevensies and Doria was happy to tell her stories about her father and aunt as children but Kelta could not help feeling excruciatingly bored, so by the end of the week when Susan said she could leave the room to visit the gardens, she was elated.

"Ooh! Hello sun! Hello flowers! Hello birds!" Kelta exclaimed as she and Mavric strolled slowly around the garden. Lucy and the leopards frolicked in front of them with Susan, Edmund and Peter following behind. It was a grand morning to be outside and Kelta was determined to enjoy it; autumn was on its way and they were expecting its chill to set in any day now. She tilted her head back, relying on Mavric to guide her, and soaked up the warm sunlight. Suddenly, she felt a dreadfully familiar twist in her stomach. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her breathing, which had begun to quicken.

"Kel? Is something wrong?" Mavric asked, stopping to look at her.

"You don't look so good."

"Is your head paining you?"

"Do you want to sit down?"

"Are you alright?"

The voices whirled around her head, making it pound and throb. Her stomach twisted again. The voices continued to babble about her. It seemed like everyone was crowding her in, and her stomach felt like it was filled with acid. She gave a cry of warning and broke free of them just in time. She emptied the contents of her stomach on the side of the path, fell to her knees when there was nothing left and dry heaved, unable to control herself. Her vision swam; the morning sickness had never been this bad before. She felt someone pick her up, they must have started running because she was being jarred awfully, they came to an abrupt halt and the voices crashed around her again.

"Let me take her, you deal with this."

"Be careful."

With that she was transferred to another pair of arms and the jarring resumed. A door opened and she heard Doria's cry of dismay.

"Oh, oh dear! Set on the bed, gently now, gently. Oh, my poor little Chicky." Soft hands smoothed the hair from her flushed face.

"This is my fault; I knew it was too early to let her walk around." Susan whispered

"No no Milady, this is no one's fault, this is nature. It's worse with some than with others. Vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath, all signs of pending motherhood. The cold doesn't help any, but rest assured this is no one's fault."

"I'll go find Peter and try to sort this new problem out."

"Aye, I'll go with you."

A door opened and closed. Cool hands removed her dress and replaced it with a soft nightgown. Kelta groaned as another wave of acidic pain tore though her innards. The door opened again and someone gasped.

"Now, just who do you think you are? Milady isn't decent, you must get out this very instant! Sir!"

"It's alright Doria."

A whispered conversation ensued, a soft apology was offered and the door shut once more. Kelta fought to open her eyes slightly and saw a shadowy figure bend to place a bag by the door, straighten, and walk over to her bedside. A calloused hand caressed her face, and then she couldn't hold her eyes open anymore and she slipped into a fitful sleep.

… … …

Someone was holding her hand. Someone's very large, very rough hand was holding hers. She knew that hand.

"Gavin?"

She opened her eyes and saw him sitting beside her bed, slumped over so that his head was resting in her lap, fast asleep. She reached out and touched his hair to be sure it was really him. Like the good sailor he was, the instant she touched him his eyes snapped open and he sat up looking around the room with that adorably confused look he always had when he first woke up. His eye settled on her and he smiled her smile, slightly crooked and roguish, that never failed to make her knees weak. She reached out to touch his face and he caught her hand, kissed her palm, and then pressed his cheek against it. She giggled.

"You're stubbly."

He growled low in his throat, crawled up onto the bed, gathered her in his arms and kissed her all over her face, making her giggle even more, before settling on her lips. He kissed her soundly then pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. She ran her hands across his chest and up his face to tangle them in his hair and brought his forehead down to rest against hers.

"Are you really here?" she whispered. He kissed her again.

"Really and truly Love, really and truly." His hands toyed with the ends of her hair and his eyes never left her face for an instant.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that if you ever leave me like that again I'll go crazy." He rolled over so that his body covered hers, bracing his arms so he didn't crush her and leaning down to touch his nose to hers.

"Kel, if you ever do that again- I can't- I just don't know-" she silenced him with a kiss.

"I know. I'm sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen, I never meant to worry you. I was going to Aunt Mimi's when I was kidnapped and then-"

"Kidnapped!" his entire body went rigid and his eyes grew dark with anger. "When I catch those sons of bitches I'll tear them limb from limb!"

"Kidnapped and then rescued! Gavin calm down, it's done, it's over with." She caught his face in her hands. "It's _done_, you hear me! Done!" he was quivering with suppressed rage. "Gavin, don't cause undue trouble here. Everything has been taken care of, you're here now, I'm here and everything will be alright." She took one of his hands and pressed it against her stomach, letting him feel the slight mound that was growing. His eyes widened in wonder and he shifted to that he could press both hands to her belly, fingers splayed so that he nearly covered it.

"Kel…" he breathed, still looking at her middle in wonder.

"This is all that matters now Gavin. This, our baby, this is it."

He bent and pressed his face into her stomach, taking a heavy breath, and whispered reverently

"Hello in there. I'm your Papa. I'm sorry I haven't met you before, but your Mama pulled a nasty trick and ran away from me. I'm here now though, and I'm never going to leave you. I promise you that."

He kissed her belly softly and then settled her back into his arms, her head resting comfortably against his chest. She couldn't remember a time she had ever been this happy. Then the door opened and Edmund walked in, Peter, Susan and Lucy close behind. Kelta's heart wrenched at the sight of him, but he smiled and exclaimed

"Kel, you're up!" in pure elation.

"Oh, we're sorry; we didn't know that you were awake yet…" Susan trailed off as she looked at Kelta being cradled in Gavin's arms in a position that the queen must have found most unseemly. Kelta elbowed Gavin had he gently eased her out of his grasp and stood, still holding her hand in his.

"It's alright Susan, I'm glad you're here. This is Gavin." She smiled up at him.

"Yes we met earlier out in the hallway, didn't we?"

"Indeed, and it's a pleasure to see you again your Majesties." Gavin said, giving a low bow.

"Gavin!" Lark and Mae shouted in unison, bounding into the room. He dropped to his knees with a shout of joy and lavished his attentions on them, scratching and petting till they were both purring with delight. Each of the Pevensies suddenly found something that needed their attentions elsewhere and soon it was only Gavin, Kelta and the cats in the room. Gavin lay down beside her again and wrapped his arms around her as Lark and Mae settled at their feet. Kelta hummed their lullaby as long as she could before the four of them drifted off to sleep.

**Whew! That was a long one! Hope you all enjoyed it, and are satisfied with Gavin's grand entrance, lol. Read and Review Please!!!!! **

**~ Sunflower ~ **


	14. Chapter 14

Kelta awoke to find herself totally alone for the first time in a week. She wondered if Gavin's coming had been a dream, but a quick glance around the room told her he had defiantly been there. His long black overcoat was hanging neatly over a chair; his tall boots were sitting by the door alongside his beaten leather bag that had been with him on every voyage he had ever taken.

_'And those blasted cards too!'_ she thought, catching sight of the deck of playing cards that were always on his person. A gypsy woman from Calormen had made them for him by hand and the deck was amongst his most treasured items. She picked the top one up, the six of clubs, and traced the familiar serpentine design on the back then flipped it over to look at the face side. Each card was different, some depicting fairies and nymphs, others with epic battle scenes, romantic couples in tender embraces, terrifying sea storms, and countless other wondrous scenes. It was not the cards Kelta despised but what they were used for. Gavin had lost weeks and sometimes months salaries gambling with the beautiful cards; it was one of the few things they fought over.

She looked up when she heard the door opening and saw Lucy peeping around the edge of the door before it was shouldered open by Gavin who was carrying a covered tray. A delicious aroma tickled her nose.

"Good morning Love." Gavin said cheerily as her set the tray on the bedside table and bent down for a kiss. He was clean and freshly shaved and the familiar scent of his soap washed over her.

"Good morning. I see you two have brought me breakfast." She said, giving Lucy a quick hug before peering under the tray's cover. Toast, scrambled eggs and two pieces of sausage with a steaming cup of fruity smelling tea were arranged neatly on the tray in typical Gavin fashion.

"Aye, breakfast in bed, a true luxury."

"Where are Lark and Mae?" she asked between bites of toast.

"At the beach with Doria and Susan hunting seashells." Lucy said from her perch on the end of the bed.

"And why aren't you out there with them Lovey? Not that I want you to go anywhere. We haven't spent much time together lately have we?"

"Lucy found me wandering about hopelessly lost and graciously helped me find my way to the kitchen and back."

The two smiled at each other in tentative friendship. Lucy would be good practice for Gavin; his clean-and-orderly nature made her worry about how he would deal with a child. Lucy was very mature for her age, Kelta could only suppose it had come with the responsibility of being a queen, but she was still young. Gavin did claim to love children and was very good with her nephew Ferrix but Kelta still worried about how he would cope with the huge, and messy, duty of caring for a child every day.

'_He has enough trouble dealing with my messes…' _

She had a sudden memory of the day she and Edmund had spent together wandering about the castle a few weeks ago. They had gone out to the gardens and run across some Narnian children playing a game of catch. She was surprised when they began to eagerly implore Edmund to play with them and even more surprised when he had done so with great enthusiasm. He had run and shouted and laughed as much as they had, letting them tackle him to the ground and hoisting them high about his head, producing peals of laughter from Kelta as well as the children. He was marvelous with children.

As she looked at Gavin talking, albeit awkwardly, with Lucy and remembered that day with Edmund Kelta felt herself being pulled in two opposite directions. On the one hand, Gavin was her dearest friend, her on and off lover, and the father of her unborn child. On the other hand, Edmund saved her from drowning, had been a steady friend during her stay in Narnia, and seemed to understand nearly everything about her and what he didn't understand, he accepted. Gavin had a tendency to avoid things that were different; Edmund seemed to embrace differences. Gavin was cut from the same material as her family and made his living from the sea; Edmund was a king.

'_Is it possible to love two men at once?_'

… … …

Later that afternoon Susan came to visit with Kelta. They talked about babies, fashion, dancing, books, and the troubles of wearing long dresses in summer while they took their tea on the balcony.

"I mean, of course they look beautiful, but they're such trouble to deal with!" Kelta said in reference to the new, more ornate hairstyles that were popular in court.

"They make my head ache dreadfully. It seems so impractical to me to spend an hour each morning on my hair." Susan took a small bite of raspberry tart before continuing. "I think it's an absolute waste of time and effort."

"I completely agree. I say tomorrow we protest that awful style and wear our hair however we please!" Kelta declared with mock anger. "Together we shall bring sense and comfort back to Narnia!"

Susan laughed quietly and took another bite of tart. She chewed slowly, appearing pensive. She studied Kelta with a small frown, set her teacup down decisively and turned to fully face Kelta.

"Kel, I've been wondering, have you felt the baby kick yet?"

"Well, no, but I'm only a few months along Susan, though I _have _been expecting to feel something now that you mention it." Her hands strayed to her stomach as though she might suddenly feel that tiny nudge from within her.

"Kel, I was thinking…you and your brother were twins, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, I've heard that having twins is passed from generation to generation. Do you think that you migh possibly…"

"Be having twins!" Kelta finished in an excited whisper. "Susan you're a genius!"

"I wouldn't say I'm all that. It's just logical that if you are a twin that you would be able to have twins. It would explain why you haven't felt anything yet as well."

Kelta took a moment to enjoy the though. Twins would be wonderful, difficult, but wonderful nonetheless. Perhaps there would be a boy and a girl like she and Larken. A sudden dark though entered her mind. '_What will Gavin think?'._ She was sure he would pretend elation but unsure as to its sincerity. One child he could deal with, but two? At the same time? She leaned in closer to Susan and lowered her voice to a hushed whisper.

"Susan, you mustn't tell anyone about this, not Lucy, not Peter, not Edmund, not even Gavin. Especially not Gavin."

"Why not?" Susan asked, giving Kelta a puzzled look. Kelta wondered whether she should confide her doubts about Gavin's parenting ability.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course you can." Susan slid her chair closer to Kelta's so that their knees were touching.

"You have to promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I promise." Susan said it with such sincerity that Kelta felt no more qualms about pouring out her heart.

"Susan, I'm not sure Gavin is ready for parenthood. I mean, he says he loves children but he's so…finicky about things I worry about how he'll handle a baby. Possibly two!" she toyed with the silver charm around her neck nervously. "I know he feels responsible for the baby, but what I don't know is if he…loves it. I mean, it hasn't been born yet and there's still plenty of time but-"

"But you feel like he doesn't really want a child." Susan finished for her.

"Exactly. Oh Susan, what am I supposed to do?!?" she wailed, pressing her hands to her eyes. "He tries to hide it but I can sense he doesn't really want this. And I feel like it's my fault somehow because-" Kelta was cut off when Susan suddenly reached up and grabbed her face.

"Kelta you listen to me!" Susan's voice had an edge to it she had never heard and Kelta looked up to meet her intense stare. "This is not your fault. This is a blessing, a blessing and you have _got_ to remember that Kel! Gavin is a fool if he thinks otherwise."

Kelta leaned forward and rested her head on Susan's lap trying to fight off tears of frustration. Susan was unsure what to do for a moment, and then timidly began to stroke her hair. What the queen didn't know was that Kelta's tears stemmed not only from concern for her child, but from confusion in her heart about the two men she loved.

'_What am I going to do?'_

**Hello loves! Sorry about the long delay but I had SOLS and then finals (lame excuse, but a true one). Now school is out and I'm home alone for most of the day so I can update speedy-quick! Read and Review please!! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Just wanted to give a shout out to TanyaGill, skye063926638 and SimplyMarvy for adding me to alert lists and to SimplyMarvy for the awesome review; you guys rock! Oh, and sorry, I know I promised you guys quicker updates but they got into a jam at work and needed me to take on a few extra shifts and this chapter was delayed. I sincerely apologize. **

Over the next few days Kelta began to conduct an experiment of sorts. She made a quick visit to the kitchens and asked some of the cooks if they would mind sending their children up to her rooms every now and then to keep her company and had Doria bring her two nieces whenever possible. Doria's nieces, Cora and Aliene, were there nearly every day and soon became quite comfortable around Kelta and Gavin and acted exactly as they would at home. Kelta watched Gavin to see how he dealt with them when they were happy, angry, tired, bored, and every other emotion typical of three and five year old girls. He handled them fairly well when they were happy, but got very frustrated whenever they left toys laying about; when they became tired, bored or sullen he had much more trouble.

"Allie, don't open that door!" he shouted as Allie tugged insistently on the balcony door.

"But I want to go outside!" the five year old protested.

"It's raining out there so you can't go out right now, you know that." He said from the floor where he was entertaining Cora with a string game.

"I want to go out now!" Allie whined, a dark look brooding on her sweet face.

Kelta immediately recognized the warning signs of a temper tantrum but decided not to interfere. She had had a terrible bout of morning sickness earlier and was not sleeping very well at night, and so had asked Gavin to keep the girls entertained for a while so she could rest. Sleep was impossible with two young children in the room but she could read and work on the baby gown she was sewing as she watched them playing from her bed. Everything had been going well but she could tell Allie was getting tired of string games and picture books. The girl was full of pent up energy and more than ready to play a game that involved running or some other physical activity.

"Allie, I said not now." Allie's brow furrowed and her mouth pulled down into an angry frown.

"Mama lets us play in the rain at home." She said, crossing her arms.

"Well you're not at home right now so you can't go outside. You don't have any clothes to change into if those get wet."

"I. Want. To. Go. Outside." Allie stomped her small foot with each cross word. Cora, picking up on her sister's anger began to fuss as well.

"Side? Side? Go side?" she asked, tugging on Gavin's pants leg.

"No Cora, we can't go outside right now." While Gavin was distracted by Cora, Allie tried once more to open the balcony door, glancing over her shoulder at Gavin mischievously.

"Allie!" he shouted, storming over and pulling her hand from the door handle. "I said no!"

"But I want to!"

"Side?"

"No Allie, it's raining out!"

"Side? Sissy go side?" Cora had toddled her way over to the door as well and was tugging at Gavin's shirttail.

"No Cora."

"I want to go out! I'm tired of that stupid game!"

"Allie! Watch your mouth!"

"I can't!" Allie shouted back, pursing her lips comically to demonstrate. "I can't see them!"

"That's not what I meant and you know that!"

"Side?"

"No Cora!" Gavin turned and yelled directly at Cora, causing the child to burst into tears. Kelta leapt off the bed and rushed to scoop Cora up.

"Gavin! Don't yell at her like that! She doesn't understand!"

"Kel!" Allie, seeing her sister sobbing into Kelta's shoulder ran to bury her head in Kelta's lap and cry as well.

"Look what you've done!" she said and a furious whisper to Gavin, cradling the two sobbing children in her arms.

"Well if you had helped me they wouldn't be crying would they!"

"I can't help you all the time Gavin!"

"But you saw they were getting upset and didn't do anything!"

"I'm sorry I expected you to be able to handle two children for the short time I get to rest during the day!" Kelta, done being civil, was now shouting at Gavin with hot tears of rage running down her face. "I'm sorry I asked you to do something with the children at all! It must be torture, having to deal with two little girls who adore you! I'm sorry for asking you to devote even a minute to them so I can get some rest! I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'm sorry you had to even come here and leave your precious ship to come and be with me while I carry your child!"

"I don't want a child Kel!" his words were like a slap in the face and her will to fight vanished. She turned to leave.

"Kel, I didn't mean that."

"Yes you did Gavin. You meant every word."

She looked at him, utterly defeated, took Allie's hand and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her. She took the girls to the kitchen and got them a snack then went to the great hall to let them run about for a while. She pulled the ball she had brought out of her pocket and gave to them so they could play, sat down on the steps that lead up to the four thrones and put her head in her hands to try and keep from crying again in front of the girls. She soon felt a small tug on her skirt. She looked up to see their frightened brown eyes peering into hers.

"Kel, are you crying?" Allie asked quietly as Cora climbed into her lap.

"Oh, no Sweet." She replied rubbing her hands across her eyes wearily. Cora wrapped her arms about Kel's neck and buried her face in her neck. Kelta rested her cheek on the soft gold curls and breathed in her baby scent with a suppressed shutter of sadness. Allie sat down at her feet and laid her head on Kel's knees. Determined not to let her troubles wear off on the girls, Kelta sat up and said in as cheery a voice as she could muster-

"Now then, why don't you two play catch while I throw these apple cores away, hmm?" and rose to her feet. The girls scampered off and she went over to a far window to toss out the cores. She leaned her face against the cool stone of the wall and tried to collect herself. Just when she felt she could return to the girls and appear well, she heard the sound of someone's footsteps coming up behind her. She whirled around and was dismayed to see Edmund strolling towards her. Desperate to remain unseen by him she turned and tried to flee, but it was too late.

"Kel! Kel wait!" he called out. She ignored him and quickened her pace so that she was nearly running. The last thing she wanted was to have to do was speak to Edmund after her fight with Gavin. His footsteps pounded; he grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face him.

"Kel, what's the matter with you?!"

"Let me go, please let me go Edmund!" she said trying to pull form his grasp and refusing to look at him.

"Kel, what happened, why are you running away from me?" she could hear the alarm in his voice as he tried to get her to look at him.

"Just let me go Edmund, please, please let me go!" she was struggling furiously to get away from him. "Let me go, let me go, just please let me be!"

"Kel let me help you!"

The worry in his voice made something within her give. She turned around, looked him in the eyes and burst into laughter; wild, hysterical laughter that bubbled up from deep inside her and rang through the hallway. The whole situation suddenly seemed so ludicrous she could not control her laughter even as Edmund became increasingly alarmed and asked if he should send for a physician.

"No no Edmund, I'm fine, really." She said between bouts of laughter. "I've simply realized how silly this whole situation with Gavin and I is. He can't do it! He _cannot_ do it!"

"I'm afraid I don't quite follow you Kel." He replied, still looking very worried.

"Gavin! He can't deal with a child! I thought that maybe with a bit of practice he could learn, but now I'm sure he isn't ready for a child and won't be for quite some time. He's barely one and twenty. His shipping business is finally getting some recognition; he's got three of his own vessels now…he is at the peak of his success and this child will tear all of that apart." She suddenly sobered. "At least that's what he thinks."

"Kel, I'm sure that's not how he feels."

"But it is Edmund. He told me himself this afternoon. We were arguing and I said I was sorry for this whole thing but it was going to happen and he said 'I don't want a child Kel!' Then I left and came down here with the girls."

"They saw you two fight?"

"Yes, and I'm heartily sorry for it. The whole thing started as a simple disagreement between Allie and Gavin and then things just escalated till before I knew it Gavin and I were screaming at each other."

"I understand Kel; I don't blame you for anything. I'm sorry this is happening."

He pulled her into his arms and gave her a long embrace. Things had been a bit awkward between them since Gavin came because both were unsure of what boundaries the other expected, but this felt easy and right. She returned the embrace, her face pressed against his chest. His smelled fresh and clean, like mint and rain, so different from Gavin's dark musky scent and she was once again reminded of the differences between the two of them. They pulled apart and went to find the girls together. The sisters were still playing ball in the hall and hadn't seemed to notice Kelta's prolonged absence.

"Kel, King Edmund, come play ball with us!" Allie shouted, running up to tug on Kelta's skirts beseechingly.

"Oh, I'm sure King Edmund is far too busy this morning to-"

"Nonsense!" Edmund knelt down to be at eye level with the girls. "I've nothing better to do today and I would love to play ball with you!"

He leapt up and dashed down the hallway, calling to Allie to toss him the ball. She and Cora took off in pursuit of him as Kelta sat on the steps again to watch them. They made a pretty picture, the sunlight from the massive windows streaming in and catching on the girls blonde curls as they chased Edmund around, him holding the ball high above his head and running about, daring them to catch him. Allie latched onto his leg in an attempt to slow him and Cora was toddling after them as quickly as she could, laughing and shrieking with delight. Edmund caught her around her middle and swept her high into the air, tossing her up and catching her again. Kelta's heart skipped a beat the first time he did this; foolishly worried he might drop the tiny girl. She landed safely in his arms and begged for more, giggling madly. It only took a few more tosses before Allie was asking to be tossed as well, the ball game quite forgotten.

They played till lunch time and together burst into the dining hall, a merry, famished party. Kelta caught sight of Gavin sitting between Mavric and a faun she didn't recognize. He tried to motion her over and indicated the seat across from him but she was in no mood to discuss that morning. She tossed her head and took the seat beside Edmund. Allie sat on his other side next to Lucy and Cora took the one beside Kelta so she could help her with her food. Susan shot her a questioning look across the table but Kelta shook her head. Later that evening she would speak to Susan and ask for advice before she went back to her room to confront Gavin. Till then she was determined to enjoy the day; Edmund had offered to take her and the girls to see the armory and training fields while he inspected them after lunch.

She could feel Gavin watching her from down the table and she turned to meet his stare. He looked at her for a long time, something akin to anger in his eyes. She knew he was upset about her seating choice but could see no reason to feel sorry about it and so returned his gaze with one of her own, conveying the anger she felt towards him as well as her frustration. He stubbornly held her gaze till she felt Edmund touch her hand and broke the contact. She met Edmund's questing gaze and smiled.

"It's fine."

She returned her attention to Cora who was trying to shove a whole roll into her mouth. She smiled to herself when she realized that Edmund's hand was still covering hers.


	16. Chapter 16

The rain had ceased and the sun was shining brightly by the time their small group was ready to set out to see the training fields. Kelta carried Cora on one hip and held Allie's hand as they picked their way down the hill to the wide, flat field. There were already several soldiers out and about, stretching, sparring, shooting, tossing, and many other activities Kelta could not recognize from the distance they were at.

"Kel, a butterfly!" Allie squealed and dashed off to chase the brightly colored insect.

"Flubberby!" Cora shouted, wriggling in Kelta's grasp. She looked at Edmund questioningly and he nodded.

"The hill isn't very steep here; she should be fine."

She set Cora gently on the hillside and watched her teeter off after her sister, giggling joyously as they followed the butterfly. Edmund waited for her to catch up to him before continuing, laughing quietly as Allie leapt about in wild attempts to catch the butterfly. Slowly but surely they crept closer to the fields; Kelta was worried not only about the state of the girls clothes but her own as well.

"It's just that your sister was so kind to give them to me I hate to mess them up." She said apologetically as Edmund waited for her to decide the best route around a large mud puddle while keeping a close eye on the girls.

"I really do think the mud would wash out Kel, but that's just me."

"Yes, well exactly how many times have you done your own laundry? Once? Never?" she raised a brow at him.

"Very well, I concede!" he reached out quickly to steady her as she tip-toed around the edges of the puddle, revealing her soft brown leather shoes. "But in my defense, how many times have _you_ done your own laundry?"

"Thank you. And I've done my own laundry many a time, as well as cooked and cleaned house." She looked down the hill at Allie and Cora, who had reached the bottom of the hill and were now peering through the fence at the soldiers.

"Really? When?"

"When I lived in Southport with Gavin. He has a house there but no servants or any such thing. I used to help on Da's ship as well. He believes everyone should work, no matter their station, so us children always had some task aboard his ships. Even when we were home we had chores and the like, though now that I look back I see that most times somebody came along hind us and tip-topped up after we'd left."

"Excuse the frankness of my asking, but how…well off is your family?" he paused to look at her but she breezed past and continued downhill.

"Rather well, if I might say so in all honesty. But I canna' ever remember a real difference twixt the staff an' the family. And we never had a nanny or any such thing; T'was always Mama who taught us and watched over us."

"Kel, why do you do that?" Edmund asked as he hurried after her.

"Do what?" This time it was she who stopped and Edmund who continued, though he halted abruptly after several steps and turned back to face her.

"Change the way you speak. Sometimes you sound so well-spoken and cultured and then sometimes, like now, you sound almost _un_cultured. When you began talking about living in Southport you started sounding more and more, well, common." He was rather embarrassed to be calling her common but Kelta seemed delighted that he had noticed.

"Did I really? I suppose I don't even notice it anymore, though I used to could tell as soon as I started. It all goes back to my childhood and the two different ways I was raised."

"Two different ways?"

"Yes. I told you before that Mama was a fine lady 'afore she married Da and she instilled the proper, cultured way of speaking in me an' my siblings. Da was a sea's man and we spent a lot o' time on his ships so we naturally picked up some of the less than high-end manners you find aboard ships. Mama didn't mind so much 'long as we spoke proper 'round her guests and such." She shrugged, giving Edmund the impression that the young Kelta had not shown much care for her Mother's way of speaking.

"Now it all boils down to how comfortable I am around people as to how I speak. If I'm unsure as to your nature and personality, it makes me nervous and I sound 'cultured' as you put it." She acquired a prim, crisp accent as she said that. "'Owever, iffens I know ye an' kin tell yer a righ' kindly sort I'll set righ' inna te' brawd'st, ballyest sailor speak ye ere 'eard com from a lass's lips!"

Edmund laughed outright at her speech. This was the Kelta they had met on the ship; a funny, quirky young woman who could laugh heartily at herself. Since their arrival at Cair Paravel Kelta had changed and become more subdued and quite. It wasn't that he didn't like her softer manners, but the Kel from the ship was simply more fun to be around and much easier to talk with. He hoped that she would stay this comfortable, at least around him.

~.~.~

Edmund guided them about the training fields, introducing them to various soldiers and trainers as they walked. They approached the armory and he pushed the heavy wooden door in to reveal a spacious, well lit room. Neat cases held every type of weaponry and armor Kelta had ever seen and many more that she had not. Several long tables stood in the center of the room with various boxes of cleaning and sharpening tools set atop them.

"It's so bright in here!" Kelta exclaimed, looking around her in wonder.

"Did you expect it to be anything but?"

"Well, I mean, most of the time when one thinks of an armory, one doesn't imagine it to be so…light."

Their laughter was cut short by loud clanging. Kelta's head whipped around and she felt her heart leap in fright. Allie was standing with her hands over her head as swords flashed and fell to the floor all around her. One narrowly missed her, and then it was silent. Kelta let out a nervous laugh, her hand pressed to her heart, as relief swept through her. It was short lived. An ominous creek filled the silence and the massive oaken case that had held the swords began to tip forward. She cried out and ran towards the child but Edmund was faster. He snatched her up and dashed out from under the cabinet, slipping dangerously on the scattered weapons. There was a thunderous crash and she heard the girls screaming in terror as a scream tore from her own throat. Before she knew it she was across the room, both children in her arms, soothing and scolding them at the same time.

"Allie, what in Aslan's name did you do? Oh, don't cry sweets, 'tis alright. Yes Cora, I know. Shh babies, Shh. How in the world did this happen, did you touch something? Yes, alright, alright." She stood and settled Allie on one hip, Cora on the other.

"Edmund, I'm going to take them back to my room to try to calm them down a bit and see if I can figure out what happened."

"That's fine Kel. I'll go see if I can round up some help to set this case back up." He said, running a hand over Allie's head softly before turning to leave. Kelta walked them back to her room and laid them down for a much needed nap. Lark and Mae were already settling in for a nap of their own and so she left the four of them curled up on her bed breathing softly, small snores coming from Cora whose nose had become stuffy from crying. She closed the door quietly and stood in the hallway for a few minutes to be sure they were truly asleep before walking back down to the armory to help Edmund. He and several Narnian's had set the case back up and were working to replace the weapons. She bent to pick up a short-sword at her feet and carried it over to where they were, unsure of where it should go.

"Gabbek, just hang that on the rack please. Danfor, that broadsword goes up one rung if you don't mind. Thank you for your help, I think I've got it from here." Edmund shook the faun's hands and bent to retrieve another sword. He stopped midway and gave a start when he saw Kel.

"Oh, I thought you'd still be with the girls Kel." Picking up the sword and hanging it in its proper place he came over and relieved her of the short-sword in her hand.

"They fell right asleep alongside Lark and Mae as soon as their heads touched the pillows."

She watched as he put the weapons in their proper places and looked about her to see if there were any left on the floor. A glimmer of sliver caught her eye and she walked around one of the tables and knelt down to pull out what was beneath. It was a long rapier with a scrolled steel hand guard and black leather grip. It tapered to a needle point; its blued steel blade appeared to be razor sharp. She held it out in front of her, testing its balance and weight. Sneaking a look to be sure Edmunds back was still turned she took a small lunge forward, parrying an imaginary enemy's blow. _Step, step, parry, lunge, step, parry, disarm._ The movements came back to her easily along with the tingling sensation she always got when handling a good blade. She found herself grinning as she continued her battle with invisible foes, slashing and dodging as her feet tapped out an intricate dance on the flagstones.

"Ahem."

Kelta whirled around, the tip of the rapier flicking through the air and stopping dead at Edmunds neck, the point just brushing his skin. She saw his eyes widen and could not help but smirk at him.

"Don't you know better than to startle someone who's handling a blade?" she asked, arching a brow and tickling his jugular with the blade point.

"I believe I have no reason to fear you little girl." He said casually, flicking the blade away from his neck and taking a half-step forward but stopping abruptly when he felt a prick of pain. Kelta smirked again and pressed the point lightly to his chest, just above his heart, enjoying toying with him.

"Best be more careful next time, shan't we…little king." She lowered the blade.

"Where did you learn to handle a sword like that?"

"My father. The seas are a dangerous place and I learned young the benefits of being able to defend myself." 

"Surely your father and brothers provided protection though." Edmund took the sword from her and examined it, eyeing the edges and hilt.

"Can you really imagine me allowing them to protect me while I remain a helpless damsel?" she asked, reaching for the sword again. He handed it to her saying,

"No, I suppose not. I imagine you were rather hard to keep out of trouble, and I'm certain you were hardly a helpless damsel."

"This is a fine, fine blade. Where did you get it?" she asked, fingering the edge delicately.

"We captured a pirate's ship off the coast of Galma. Surprisingly this wasn't in the loot aboard ship. It belonged to one of the pirates, who was later hung for treason and it ended up here along with the many other cutlasses and various barbaric weapons pirates typically use."

"I take it the captain was dead when your captured this man?"

Edmund looked at her in surprise. "Yes, he was. How did you know that?"

"You were wrong when you assumed this would have been in the stores. This is a good blade, a captain's blade. The man you took this off of must have stolen it, most likely from the captain after he was dead."

"How do you know all this?" he was looking at her with respect but there was something else hidden behind his eyes; a curious, wary look that made her feel a bit guilty for keeping him in the dark.

"There's a lot that I know that would shock and surprise you. As I said before, I am far from a helpless damsel."


	17. Chapter 17

_"How do you know all this?" he was looking at her with respect but there was something else hidden behind his eyes; a curious, wary look that made her feel a bit guilty for keeping him in the dark._

_"There's a lot that I know that would shock and surprise you. As I said before, I am far from a helpless damsel." _

~.~.~

The last weeks of summer passed by in relative quiet and as the leaves began to turn various shades of gold, yellow, orange and red Kelta began to get restless. After several awkward talks involving a good deal of blushing and foot shuffling she and Gavin were slowly coming to terms with their relationship. Gavin would stay in Cair Paravel until the baby came and for a while afterward until the spring, when he would return to Galma and the shipping business while Kelta either stayed in Narnia or went to live with her Aunt Mimi in Archenland.

"It's not that I don't love Narnia, I really do, but I can't stay here forever living off the royal family's charity."

She said this one afternoon as she, Gavin, and Mavric were walking together through the garden. It was a cool day in early October and Kelta was glad to have her shawl wrapped snugly about her shoulders. Mae was close by her side, Kelta's hand resting on her back, with Gavin and Mavric walking on either side of her to help block some of the wind that was blowing in from the sea.

"You're the only one who seems to think you're getting charity Kel. Lots if people stay at Cair Paravel." Mavric pointed out, not for the first time.

"I'm aware of that, but it just doesn't feel right to me. It's not that I feel like they don't want me here, quite the opposite, but I just don't like living off of someone else."

"But didn't you say your father sent you enough money to get you well through the winter?"

That was true, and Kelta took a moment to think of another decent argument but could not. Just the other week she had received a letter from her father expressing his relief at her safety and more than enough money for her to live off of, as well as some of her possessions from home. She had considered finding a small house in the town to live in for the winter but was flatly rejected by both Susan and Gavin.

"Why leave a place where you'll get the best treatment and care for the baby?" he had asked, knowing she could not argue that point.

"My father sent me money, yes," she answered Mavric "but I was strongly advised to stay at Cair Paravel. _Very_ strongly."

"Yes, I heard that Queen Susan threatened to tie you up in your room, but I have a hard time imagining Susan the Gentle saying or doing any such thing."

"Gentle my arse." Kelta snorted "She also said that if I even think of leaving Cair Paravel in the near future she would personally shackle my ankles."

"I believe she means well; she has grown most attached to you. There is not much in the ways of human female companionship here in Narnia and the Archenlanders visit so seldom-"

"And are a feather-headed bunch of pea brains." Kelta interjected.

"You could say that I suppose, but there are several who are not." Mavric said, hiding a grin.

"Indeed?" Kelta cast a sidelong look in his direction.

"Now don't you give me that look Kel." Mavric returned, stopping to give her a hard stare.

"What look?" she replied innocently, peeping up at him through her lashes.

"That look you just gave me. The one that seems awfully similar to the ones my mother gives me when she's trying to set up a match, or whatever it is you call them."

"I've done no such thing! Besides, you know I'm only teasing you Mavric." She laughed but put a hand on his arm to ensure he knew she was being sincere.

"Kel, what's a pea-brain?" Mae asked, looking up at Kelta with golden eyes full of innocence and question.

"Their silly creatures love, like you and Lark when you don't mind me." She replied, tugging on the leopard's ear fondly.

"Oh."

Kelta realized that Mae felt scolded by her answer and so continued, "But I love you dearly even when you're naughty." and placed an enthusiastic kiss between her eyes.

Kelta groaned slightly when she stood back up for her belly had grown quite round in the past weeks and made bending difficult. Every day she waited for that small movement from within to tell her that all was well with the baby but none had come yet. She did not share her fear that something might be wrong with anyone, but at times she could not help but wonder if something had happened when she fell overboard on the ship during the first weeks of her pregnancy. She felt sure that Aslan would have told her if such a thing had happened but the thought remained in the back of her mind, an unwelcome shadow in what should have been a happy time. Now as she continued down the path, both hands clutched protectively about her belly, those dark thoughts swirled in her mind. '_What if, what if…'_

… … …

That afternoon Kelta felt ill and went up to her room to rest. She tried to sleep but her thoughts from earlier still hung in her head and she soon got up and began to pace the floor. Her hands twitched nervously from her stomach to her head to her sides, always lingering on her middle, hoping to feel that tiny nudge and be reassured. Her mood suddenly turned black and she stormed out of the room, knowing she could not stay cooped up in her room a moment longer. Her skirts snapped as she strode quickly down the hall, out the door and along the pathway, her head down and hands clenched. She felt very angry and confused with the world and knew of only one way to calm herself. She had been idle for far too long; she pushed open the heavy wooden door to the armory and surveyed the assortment of weaponry with a critical eye before snatching the rapier she had used when she and Edmund were setting the armory to rights. It seemed to sing in her grasp.

There was a long row of training dummies set up in the field behind the armory and she made for the far end, swinging the blade lightly in her hand. She reached the last dummy, checked to be sure no one was watching her and raised the blade. It sliced through the air and connected with the wood approximately where a man's heart would be, making a dull _thwack_. Pleased, she struck again, this time arcing up to jab at the neck. Her mind narrowed and her senses stood on edge. Every nerve in her body came alive and her heart thrummed with joy. She attacked again and again scarring and shaving tendrils off the new wood. She stopped frequently and was careful not to overexert herself but could not resist stretching the muscles that had lain unused for so long. She grinned to herself and let the blade fly through the air.

… … …

Edmund had spotted Kelta's figure out on the practice field and was watching her from a distance. Every now and then she would stop and rest for a short period but always resumed her fencing with vigor. He knew how it felt to be trapped and troubled and so did not harbor any real concern for her. He had never been pregnant and alone but he had been lost and confused; his time with the White Witch still haunted him and he understood her need to immerse herself in something distracting. He watched as she danced with the rapier, slashing and cutting away at the wooden dummy. He hated to interrupt her but as he looked up at the darkening sky he decided it was for the best and walked towards her. He remembered how she had whirled on him, blade point at his throat the last time he startled her and so approached her with caution. She seemed to be consumed with her fighting, the blade still flashing about her, till he was close behind her. With a twirl of her feet and a flick of her wrist the point was against his neck and her eyes were latched on his once again.

"How do you always know I'm behind you?" he asked, standing perfectly still but holding her gaze.

"Practice." She replied with a wicked smirk. She circled him slowly, the tip of the rapier gliding lightly around his throat as she walked. "One would think you'd learned your lesson the first time."

"I'm a hard person to get through to."

She made a sound of agreement and stopped in front of him, point still on his neck. She looked at him for a long moment and he felt a bit vulnerable under her stare but returned it with equal force. Finally she sighed and turned back to the dummy, her rapier swishing through the dusky air and hitting the wood with force. Now that he was closer he saw how white her knuckles were and heard how hard she was breathing.

"Kel, you may want to take it a bit slower." She harrumphed at him and continued whacking away.

"I'm serious Kel, don't overexert yourself."

"What do you know about it!" she said bitterly, whipping around to face him again. "What do any of you know about me or what I should and shouldn't do? I have had it with everyone telling me where to go, what to eat and when, to get some rest, to go lie down, to be careful, to think about the baby! Do you think I'm not aware every second of every day that I am with child? It plagues me, always there in my mind that another person's life depends on me and I'm _sick_ of everyone being in my face about it! Leave me alone!" she shouted at him, shoving him back away from her. "I just want everyone in this cursed place to leave me alone! I don't need your help or your damned sympathy!" she pushed him again "I hate all of you, always patronizing me, always saying 'poor Kelta', 'how sad for Kelta', 'let's all be nice and help Kelta'. I don't want you help damn it!"

She reached to push him again and he caught her hands. She balled them into fists and tried to hit him, struggling to get out of his grasp and shouting curses at him. He pulled her to him and folded her against his chest, letting her hit him, letting her be angry.

"I hate you! I hate all of you!" she cried, the blows raining across his chest becoming more and more wild. He pulled her closer when he began to hear sobs mixed in with her shouts, smoothing his hand over her hair and murmuring softly to her, not sure if she could hear him over herself. She punched him one final time before collapsing against him, her tears of rage and confusion wetting his shirt.

"Oh Edmund, I'm so…I'm so…" she tried to speak but words seemed to fail her.

"I know Kel."

That was all he needed to say. In that moment he felt as if a barrier had been broken between them and she relaxed into him, curling her fingers into his shirt and pressing her face into his shoulder. She sniffed and hiccupped a few times but made no attempt to remove herself from his arms. He continued to stroke her hair and back, resting his cheek against the top of her head. He held her a few minutes longer then pulled back a bit to look at her. She gave him a small, slightly apologetic smile and reached to wipe her tears away, allowing him to slide his arms down to circle her waist.

"Better enjoy that while you can." She said, resting her head on his chest again.

"Enjoy what?"

"Holding me like this." She toyed with the buttons on his shirt and he could feel her eyelashes brushing his skin.

"Are you saying you won't allow it in the future?" he pulled back again to look at her.

"Well, no, but nature might not." She said with a bit of a blush. He was taken aback by the softer side of Kel who cried and let him hold her, but remembered how she had hit and cursed at him and nearly laughed.

"I'll work around him or her." he said with a smile partly due to his happiness and partly due to his amusement at her actions. _'Pregnancy must be taking its toll on her'_ he thought.

"Edmund…" she broke off and sighed."Edmund, what will people say about…us. The last thing I want is to compromise your reputation and-"

"Kel, stop." She did, looking up at him with her heart in her eyes. "Kel, you're not going to 'compromise' my reputation. No one thinks ill of you here; they all love you. Besides, I'm the black sheep of the family anyway." He said, kissing her forehead. Thought it pained him, he felt obligated to ask "But what about Gavin?"

"Oh, well…I suppose he won't care much. I mean, he loves me still, but not as he did before. At least that's what he's told me and if he feels differently it certainly isn't my fault. I've let him know I've no romantic interest in him and he's said he feels the same." She worried her lip between her teeth as she thought. "No, I'm certain he can't say anything about…us." Edmund could tell she was not fully sure of Gavin's feelings and decided that, for her benefit if not his, they would keep their feeling to themselves for a while till they were certain of everything. He asked how she felt and was pleased when she agreed with him.

"So, we'll let you set the pace however you please. I'll not breathe a word of our…courtship unless you approve." He said as they walked up the hillside to the castle.

"Courtship. That sounds nice."

She slipped her hand into his and he felt his spirit lift. She was cautious and would probably remove her hand when they reached the courtyard but for now she was willing to show a bit of affection when they were alone and that was enough. _'Just let her go at her own pace Ed, let her get her bearings.' _He thought to himself and gave her hand a small squeeze, smiling in the dark when she returned the pressure.

Keena- Brave

Baelin- knight of Galman legend


End file.
